


New Jedi Order: Back to Bakura

by Jaina



Category: Star Wars: New Jedi Order Era - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-11-24
Updated: 2002-11-24
Packaged: 2017-11-05 05:38:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/403016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaina/pseuds/Jaina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Rebel Dream. Jaina and Jag go for a walk only to be swept into an incredible journey into her parents past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Galaxies still spun and the universe continued against all odds. Moons fell, worlds were raped and reshaped and yet despite all the terrible events, life continued as it always had, among and under the stars. Peoples still laughed, fought, and cried in spite of or maybe because of the Yuzhhan Vong invasion. Among these many people was Jaina Solo.

After the almost total destruction of the Vong forces at Borealis, Jaina and the rest of her squadron had been given a brief reprieve. Jaina had decided to go to Lando Calrissian's party with a member of her squadron, Colonel Jagged Fel. Now six hours later they lay on the flat roof of the biotics building holding hands and simply staring up at the stars. Both had grown very quite and neither seemed ready to break the silence until Jaina sat up suddenly peering at Jag. Her face was very serious when she looked up at him.

"Jag," she asked softly, "What is this?"

"What is what, Goddess?"

"This. Us. I mean, I don't know, I mean what are we doing?"

"I'm not really sure, Jaina. I like you. I like you a lot and I want us to stay alive long enough to figure that out. For now, I'm just your boyfriend, the guy who wants to be there for you no matter what."

Jaina just sat there for a moment and Jag began to worry, but then smiled when he saw Jaina fighting sleep. He picked her up gently and flashed a smile when she demanded to know what he was doing.

"I'm delivering you to your quarters so you can get some sleep."

"I could get used to this you know," she said as she relaxed and snuggled into his arms.

The next morning she woke with a pounding headache, most likely from the large quantity of brandy she had drunk the night before. The pounding intensified and Jaina suddenly realized that someone was at the door.

She glanced down at her clothing and realized that she still wore the same clothes as the night before and growled out, "Blaster bolts just wait a minute I'm coming."

She staggered out of bed and lurched to the door coming up sharply when it opened to reveal her mother. "Oh hi Mom," was all she could think of to say.

Her mother glanced at her for a moment taking in the details and then asked quietly, "Hangover?"

"Definitely. I'm going to have to kill Jag, once the room stops spinning that is. One should not get a goddess that drunk."

"That bad, huh? I've had some pretty bad ones. Your father got me so drunk after Endor." Jaina looked at her foggily and then Leia realized that conversation was futile. "Well all right, sweetie, I'll go and let you sleep it off. I just came by to tell you that your father and I are leaving again."

"Okay, Mom," she mumbled, "see you later. I love you," Jaina finished groggily already staggering back over to the bed, almost asleep.

_

Later that day, when Jaina finally left her quarters, she almost fell on top of Kyp Durron who was sitting outside her quarters .

"Kyp," she asked bemused, "why are you meditating in the hall?"

"To better serve you, Goddess, I am after all your porter."

Jaina grimaced at the memory of that conversation with Jag and finally snapped to the present as Kyp started talking. "Well I don't think what I said was that bad, Great One. Tel must have really done a number on you last night."

Jaina whirled around to face him. "How do you know about that? You weren't even there."

"I saw your parents leave and they 'suggested' that I check on you because you didn't look to great."

"Where were they going?" Jaina asked with a sudden change of topic.

Kyp took a minute to think and then said, "I'm not sure. General Antilles would probably know."

"Like I'm going to talk to my commanding officer while I'm off duty."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Right now I'm going to go eat."

"Well I'll see you later the, Goddess, I'm going to go make some modifications on my x-wing."

"All right Kyp, I'll see you at the briefing tonight."

_

Jaina sighed as she exited the mess hall, after eating the stuff they called food. She was unsure what to do now. Previously when she had leave she would spend time with whatever of her family or childhood friends that were present. However they were all off world. In fact, her only childhood friend on planet was Zeke and she wasn't certain she wanted to face him yet.

She began walking aimlessly, trying to decide what to do with her time when she realized that she was headed outside, towards the forest. The part of the forest was relatively safe, she knew. It had been cleaned out by the ground soldiers as one of the few areas that had been spared total destruction by the orbital bombardments. So she began to enter the forest, it wasn't something she would normally do. In fact, it had always been more Jacen's style to wander through forests, but then again, she thought, perhaps that was why she was doing it.

Just as she was about to enter the forest, she heard someone yell quietly, "Solo."

She whirled around hand automatically dropping to her lightsaber. "Jag," she hissed, "don't do that to me. I'm supposed to be relaxing here."

"I'm sorry, Great One, I'll leave you alone to relax in that case," and he turned and began to walk away again.

"Hey wait, Fel, what did you want?"

"Nothing, Goddess."

"Well then why don't you come with me."

"I would but I'm really not much of a forest person myself. I had a few bad experiences with them as a kid."

Jaina sighed and looked away. "Well I can understand that, I'm not either." She turned away from him to start into the woods, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm and a quiet question.

"Then whey are you going?"

She looked down at her shoes the said, "Jacen loved forests and the new life forms within them." Her quiet statement shook him deeply and he began to truly understand what she was doing and how significant her invitation to join her was.

"Jaina," Jag said slowly and quietly, "if you don't mind I would be honored to accompany you."

She started, surprised at his use of her first name and then simply held her hand out to him in acceptance. As they picked their way through the forest, Jag glanced over at her several times before finally asking her the question burning in his mind.

"Would you tell me about him?"

Jaina remained silent for a long moment and Jag feared that he had gone too far, but then, slowly she began to speak. "He, he was my twin brother, five or ten minutes younger than me. We were very close as children and had an incredibly strong force bond. Our parents weren't around a lot so we often turned to each other for anything we needed. We were kidnapped several times in our life and it was always me that protected them. I was the oldest and it was my responsibility and now they're both gone."

By the time she finished this confession tears were streaming down her face. They had stopped walking and Jag simply folded her into an embrace, letting her cry. When she had recovered slightly, he started to release her, to talk to her, when the world suddenly went black for them.


	2. Bakura

When consciousness returned as swiftly as it had faded, it brought with it a myriad of confusing feelings as well as a great deal of pain. However, in her young life Jaina had felt her share of pain and confusion, and continued to lay where she was. Pushing past the pain and negative emotions, Jaina reached out with the force to get a sense of her surroundings. To her relief she could feel Jag still lying next to her.

Just as she was about to open her eyes, she heard a speeder pass by and a familiar yet distorted voice call out, "Hey, Lieutenant, pull this barge over. Looks like these folks got into some trouble."

"Han, she looks like she's with the Alliance," added a very familiar feminine voice.

"Get back inside, Sweetheart, 'cause he sure doesn't." The familiar voice and the ever so familiar nickname sent Jaina's eyes snapping open.

She sat up abruptly, to find herself, not in the forests of Borealis as she had hoped, but staring at a couple who appeared to be a much younger version of her parents. Beside her, Jag groaned and began to stir. Momentarily diverted, Jaina took her eyes off of the people who appeared to be Han and Leia Organa Solo and looked over at Jag. As she started to reach out to the force to check him for injuries she abruptly stopped. She wasn't sure what was going on but if these really were a younger version of her parents then her uncle was sure to be around somewhere.

Instead of further examining Jag, although he appeared to be all right at her first glance, she turned to the people in front of her and asked, "Could you give me a hand here please, I'm not sure if he's okay?"

"Han," the woman said abruptly as if just making up her mind, "go help her. We can take them back to our quarters. I have a medkit back there." Turning back to Jaina she asked steadily, "Are you with the Alliance,." She deliberately left the sentence hanging pointedly asking her name.

"Jaina and yes we are."

"I might just believe you, Jaina, but your friend here sure doesn't look like he's with the Alliance." Han stated suspiciously.

Jaina groaned, silently cursing Jag for wearing his vaguely Imperial flight suite, then as she began to appreciate the situation began laughing, almost hysterically. Leia's slap though unexpected was enough to shock Jaina out of it.

"Listen, if you don't believe me, get Unc, I mean uh Luke Skywalker to come and see if I'm lying." Jaina was embarrassed at her slip. She didn't know when or even where she was yet, she didn't think it best to reveal it now.

"All right kid I trust you for now, but if you make one false move I'll blast you, understood." At her curt nod, he gestured towards the speeder. "Get in. Don't worry I'll make sure your boyfriend is safe."

Jaina blushed at the comment but she was so tired that she didn't dispute it, or at least that's what she told herself. She and a barely conscious Jag rode in the back of the speeder with Leia.

After a few moments, Jaina finally asked one of the questions that had been bugging her since she regained consciousness. "Senator if I may, where are we exactly? I'm afraid I can't seem to remember. I must have hit my head."

Leia looked at her a bit strangely for a moment then said, "We're on the Imperial world of Bakura."

"Thank you, Senator," Jaina said as she struggled to remember when or if her parents had ever been on Bakura and what exactly had happened there.

"Excuse me, but why do you call me Senator? Most know me better as a princess than an imperial senator." Leia's tone of puzzlement was a stark contrast to her normally controlled personality.

Jaina thought for a microsecond before coming up with the perfect dodge. "My mother was from Alderaan, but I was born on Coruscant."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Leia replied immediately. "Was she off world?" There was no need for either of them to specify when she was off world.

"Yes Ma'am. She survived and has since thrived."

To Jaina it felt very odd to be talking to her mother like this but before her train of thought could continue, they stopped and got out of the landspeeder. Slowly Jaina crawled out of the speeder and watched Han carry Jag into the suite.

Following Leia in she was shocked when Leia called, "Luke we have company."

"I'm coming Leia is everything o_kay?" he finished lamely stumbling over the last word as he came to the main room. He stared in shock at the resemblance between Leia and Jaina.

Feeling through the force, her uncle's shock and curiosity, she quickly turned to Leia. "May I go check on Jag? He'll be worried if he wakes up and I'm not there."

"Certainly," Leia replied.

"Great, but after that, Kid, you get to have a little chat with Luke."

Jaina nodded and then walked into the small room off of the suite where Jag had been lain down. "Jag are you okay?"

"Where are we," he asked groggily.

Jaina grimaced but answered, "We're on the Imperial world of Bakura."

He looked startled but, then a bit worried and said, "But, Jaina, Bakura hasn't been an Imperial world since shortly after the Battle of Endor."

Recognition hit Jaina's face at his statement and she smiled. "So that's it. We're here during the Ssi Ruuk invasion."

"Of course, where else would you be," came the soft voice of Luke Skywalker from the doorway.

The shocked expression on Jag's face as he saw Luke and put together the facts of the situation was priceless.

Then Luke began asking them questions about where they were from, who they worked with and many more along with those. Jaina's answers were very creative to say the least. However, none of them were flat out lies. She had learned long ago that it was impossible to lie to Jedi, but that it was possible to tell carefully worded half-truths without being caught.

When it was finally over, Jaina looked at the man who would one day be her uncle and asked, "Well did we pass?"

"Yes," he stood quietly for a moment as if considering something. "You know, Jaina, I believe that you have some talent for the force, only a small amount of course, but enough to make it worth while for you to receive training."

Jaina was immediately offended by his dismissal of her 'small amount of talent' but quickly stopped the ripple of emotion with a shielding technique that her aunt had taught her. That was when she realized what had happened. She had dampened down her presence in the force earlier and he didn't have enough experience to cut through her carefully erected barriers.

"Jaina," he spoke slowly, and then more sharply, "Jaina, I know it was a shock but_"

Realizing that he had been expecting an answer, she snapped back to the moment. "I'll consider it, Commander."

"Thank you. If you'll excuse me I need to go talk to Han and Leia."

"Of course."

As he entered the other room, he saw both of them waiting for him expectantly. He glanced over his shoulder for a moment, making sure that Jaina and Jag were not eavesdropping. "Well, they're not helping the Empire, but other than that I'm not really sure. She never really lied to me but I got the feeling she wasn't always telling the whole truth."

"Well what should we do with them, then?" demanded Han.

"I want to keep them around, Jaina has some strength in the force and I want to train her in_" He was cut off by the frantic blaring of a battle alarm.

Immediately they scrambled into action, preparing to return to their ships. To their shock Jaina and Jag were right behind them. "Give us x-wings, the Alliance needs all the help it can get. We're both ace pilots."

"No way, Kid," snapped Han, "there is no way that a green kid like you is going up there. Not in the same space I'm flying the 'Falcon."

Jaina started to press the point but then saw the look on Leia's face and realized a that now would not be a good time for a bickering match. Hastily trying to forestall it, she agreed. "Fine. Will you at least take us with you?"

Han looked at her harshly, "Don't get in my way, Jaina."

_

"Why did you do that?" hissed Jag, "What's going on?"

Jaina sighed. "No offense but I feel safer up here then down on that Imperial base. I'm not sure what's going on, but if you have any better ideas, I'd love to hear them."

The Falcon shuddered under fire and before he could respond Han snapped, "Princess, get to that Laser turret, now."

To Jag's surprise Jaina was right behind Leia as she ran towards the gun turrets. When she opened fire on the nearest ships, it exploded very easily, almost target practice to Jaina who was used to skips. By the she had blasted four more fighters, Han's familiar growl came over the intercom.

"Who in the Sith is up there?"

"Jaina."

"Get out of there. Now. I'm the Captain and."

"And respectfully, Captain, I just vaped five of those Ssi Ruuk fighters."

"You're not qualified for those guns."

"I got my first kill on these guns when I was seven."

"I don't care, Kid. I want you out of there now."

"Fine," snapped Jaina quickly, decisively," give us x-wings."

"Done." Luke Skywalker's quiet but firm voice cut through Han and Jaina's bickering easily.

"Luke-" Han began entreatingly.

"This is my command, Han, my task force, and I say they can join Gold squadron."

_

"This isn't a game, Sticks. Stop showing off," Snapped Jagged Fel with a certain air of irritation from the cockpit of his new x-wing.

"But Jag, this is so easy, compared to skips at least."

"I know Sticks-drop starboard," he interrupted himself, setting himself up to vape the fighter following Jaina closely, "but we don't want to attract too much attention, to many questions."

She paused considering her reply as she headed back to the Alliance section of the furball. "Fine, but we have to decide what to do about this whole situation and soon."

"Agreed, Sticks, now shall we focus on this."

"What? You can't split your concentration, Fly boy?" She challenged him eagerly.

"Just wait, Sticks."

"Cut the chatter, Gold Five, Six," ordered Commander Luke Skywalker, "Come up under planetside and plug that hole please."

The double clicks of comms were his only reply, but as he continued to watch he was shocked at what the pair accomplished, both as a group and on their own. It was unusual to see such a display of flying and battle prowess, especially in two such virtual unknowns. But, before he could ponder the significance of it further, a different part of the battle diverted his attention away from them.

_

Hours later, Jaina sat in the cockpit of her borrowed x-wing, waiting patiently as it rose to let her out. Peeling off her helmet, she ran a hand through her sweat drenched hair, hair that was still short from its cut at Duro almost a year ago. So much had happened, thought Jaina as she jumped out of the cockpit using the force to help her down, so much had changed.

The familiar snap-hiss of a lightsaber near her ear and the blare of her highly honed danger sense sent Jaina into a low summersault as soon as her feet hit the duracrete. She came back up in a fighting stance, ignited lightsaber in hand, looking into the powerful and determined features of Luke Skywalker.

"Who or should I say what are you?" he demanded.


	3. You're Who?

Wedge Antilles was having a good day, the first in a very long time. He had recently been reunited with his wife and children and, now with the victory over the Yuuzhan Vong forces over Borealis just yesterday, the galaxy was looking just a little bit brighter. The first sign that all was not as well as it seemed came only a few minutes after he entered the command center on Borealis. To his shock, a panicked Kyp Durron came storming in, muttering vile and obscene curses in as many different languages as he could think of and followed by an almost visible air of death and darkness.

The moment that Kyp stopped ranting long enough to speak clearly his words froze Wedge where he stood. "I can't Sithing find her, Jaina. Son of the sith-spawned emperor I can't feel her in the force either."

"Calm down, Kyp," snapped Wedge, "Calm down and tell me what's going on."

Kyp looked at Wedge for a moment as if he were insane then said, "Jaina is missing. She's not dead, but I can't find her in the force, I can't even feel her."

"So maybe she's just blocking her self from you. Maybe she wanted a little bit of privacy," suggested Wedge.

"No," muttered Kyp darkly. "No something's happened. I need to talk to Organa-Solo, without Master Skywalker around she's the only one who might have a chance to find Jaina."

"Absolutely not," snapped Iella, surprising both Kyp and Wedge, "You say she's alive, Kyp," when the disturbed Jedi Master nodded his agreement she continued, "then we shouldn't take this to Leia quite yet. Leia has already lost two children to this war, lets not upset her like this until we know more for sure."

She held Wedge's gaze tightly until he tersely agreed. His face took on a new expression as he began to think, to analyze the situation. "All right, Kyp, you've spent a lot of time with Jaina recently, start looking for places where she might just be hiding out. Check everywhere, obvious or not. I'll start a base wide search and have all the ships and their personell start searching for her. Let's do this."

_

"Our daughter!"

"I married her?" came the startled exclamations of Leia Organa and Han Solo respectively.

At Leia's glare he flashed her the infamous Solo grin. "Hey Highnessness, I didn't."

"I don't even want to hear it, nerf-herder," snapped Leia in response.

"Sith, I had forgotten how much I missed this," muttered Jaina.

Luke turned to her with a mock-horrified expression. "They act like that for the next twenty-six years?"

At Jaina's solemn nod Han and Leia stopped to glare at them momentarily. "So Jaina," Han interrupted, "You say you're my oldest daughter. Do I have any other kids?"

Her face blanched momentarily but then Jag put a steadying hand on her back and she continued. "It's ironic in a way. I have a twin brother named Jacen and another younger brother named Anakin."

"I named my child after HIM. Why in the galaxy would I do that?" demanded Leia in shock and anger.

Surprised at the out burst from the women that was usually the epitome of calm and grace under pressure, Jaina replied carefully. "To show the galaxy you had forgiven him, Anakin Skywalker, to help heal."

Luke finally spoke up entering the conversations again with a query of his own. "Are the three of you Jedi? I mean you are carrying a lightsaber."

"Yes we are, although I have to admit my brothers have had a bit more training than myself. I kind of quit to join Rogue Squadron."

"So you're in Rogue Squadron?" queried Han his voice a mixture of curiosity and pride.

"Um no actually I uh got kicked out because I'm a Jedi but, now I do have my own squadron."

"How old are you?" asked Leia curiously.

"Nineteen," growled Jaina, letting the cold durasteel of a hardened warrior creep into her voice. "Why?"

"I just can't believe that I would let my nineteen year old daughter join starfighter command."

"You didn't." Jaina said shortly, "You let you sixteen year old daughter join starfighter command. Now if you'll excuse me that was a long fight."

Startled by her behavior, and her quick exit, they finally took note of Jag standing off to the side. "Well who are you?" asked Han speaking for all of them, although Leia was still a bit preoccupied by Jaina.

"I'm a pilot in Jaina's squadron. Jagged Fel."

"Fel?" Han questioned, "Are you related to Soontir Fel?"

"He's my father, Sir." Jagged replied politely.

"He works for the Empire, how do we know you won't betray us?"

"The Empire and the New Republic have been at a state of truce for the past fifteen years." Everyone, but especially Leia, looked shaken by Jag's news.

Luke though was the first to consider all of the implications and ask worriedly, "Well then who are you fighting?

* * * * * * * *

Five hours had passed before Kyp got first lucky break. In his search for Jaina, he had recruited Tekli, Lowbacca, and Zekk, although the later at first almost refused to have anything to do with Jaina. He had asked them, quite politely he thought, although Zekk had preceded to glare at him the whole time, to help him search for Jaina.

Tekli had been assigned to search the outlying areas of the base. When after only five hours she had called his commlink, he was surprised. He arrived at her location as fast as he could. Beside Tekli stood an old man, his hair a mixture of gray and brown and wearing a tattered jumpsuit that identified the man as a fighter pilot maintenance worker.

When Kyp stopped in front of her, Tekli nodded solemnly in greeting and then turned to the old man. "Would you tell Master Durron what you told me please?"

"I was just telling the girl here," he gesture loosely at Tekli with a wizened grease covered hand, "that when I was working around mid day yesterday, I saw the young girl she described and another fellow about your height," he said nodding at Kyp. "He looked like a pilot; had dark hair."

Excited, Kyp thanked the old man and then took Tekli to the side to talk to her privately. "Was it just me or did the man he described sound like Jagged Fel."

Tekli gave Kyp a smile or at least what passed for a smile with the shy young Jedi apprentice. "That's why I called you, Master Durron." She turned slightly and gestured towards the forest. "He also showed where they entered the forest. I thought I should notify someone before I went to check it out."

Despite his distraction with the situation at hand, Kyp remembered to reassure the young girl. "Good thinking, Tekli. Would you show me this place?"

"Certainly, Master Durron. This way."

To Kyp's surprise nothing about the forest struck him as unusual or looked as if there had been a disturbance of any kind there. Stretching out with the force Kyp struggled to find an echo of Jaina or Jag's presence in the surroundings. To his dismay Kyp felt not only an echo of their last emotions, but also a strange void in the force that could mean only one thing, Yuuzhan Vong.

"Tekli," he called immediately, "be careful, I sense the Vong around here or some of their biotechnology."

The small Jedi nodded immediately and stood back as Kyp searched the surrounding area, for whatever he was looking for. It only took him a few moments for him to find what he was looking for to his surprise. He had expected for it to take much longer. The creature he found looked like nothing else he had ever seen the Vong make but, he decided to not guess at it's function until he had Lowbacca or another expert in Yuuzhan Vong technology take a look at it.

* * * * * * * *

Jaina pivoted and stabbed her lightsaber behind her head, catching the bolt from the remote that had, a moment ago, been in front of her. Switching to a one handed grip, she whipped the blade back around in front of her sweeping aside two more incoming bolts. She brought her blade back up to the guard position and noticed that Luke Skywalker stood watching her from the entrance with a rapt attention. However, she purposefully did not acknowledge him. Casually, she next executed a move that had been taught to her by her aunt Mara. She flipped into a midair summersault, bringing her blade with her and sweeping a bolt away from the air where her feet would have been and back towards the remote, knocking it to the ground.

She brought her blade back up and just for the fun of it she deflected the next bolt towards Luke. After he quickly dodged the laser bolt, he exclaimed indignantly. "Hey. What was that for Jaina? Where did you learn that move?" He asked quickly moving on, his curiosity overtaking him. "It was actually quite a simple move," he analyzed," but I don't think I would have thought of that combination."

"Despite what Yoda may have told you, you're not the only Jedi in the galaxy, even now." Jaina replied, probably a bit more tartly than she had intended.

"There are others." His remark was as much a statement as a question.

"Of course, and as for that move. Well it was taught to me by my Jedi master."

"I didn't teach you?" Luke asked sounding more surprised and almost a little hurt.

"Well not really. You did some, but mostly you taught my brothers. Mara was the one who taught me."

"Mara?"

At that Jaina had to smile. "Mara Jade," she left a nice pregnant pause and then added, "Skywalker, my aunt."

He stood there a bit startled for a moment and then he seemed to sputter for a moment and said at last. "I'm married."

"For almost ten years now, in my time."

He seemed to absorb that then changed the direction of the conversation abruptly. "Why did you get so upset back there? You practically ran out."

Jaina sighed. It's complicated, Uncle. Mother and I have been fighting for so many years now it's almost habit to me. In my time, a lot of stuff has happened and the galaxy has been turned upside down. I resent her in many ways, and she doesn't understand me. So, we fight, a lot."

"Don't you ever talk to her?" Luke asked calmly ever the mediator.

"I hardly see her. Most of the time I'm on the other side of the galaxy with my squadron." Jaina laughed but with little humor in her voice. "If Mara was here she would have my hide for sulking like this." Then she ruefully shook her head and turned to Luke her attention now focused outward rather than inward. "Well Uncle what's the current tactical situation?"


	4. Mother to daughter...or something like that.

Kyp Durron had spent the better part of the day searching for Jaina Solo and Jagged Fel and now he had moved on to waiting, and waiting and waiting. The moment he had reentered the base Iella Antilles had reappeared at his side as if summoned through the force, although Kyp knew she didn't have any force potential. He assumed that it was her background in Intelligence work. He was immediately swept up into the former Corsec operative's wake. He was whisked down a side corridor as soon as he showed her the Yuuzhan Vong creature that he had found, and now she was showing him into a laboratory, bustling with activity.

Pulling him over towards a huddled knot of people, Iella explained as they walked. "Are you sure that, that creature is involved in Jaina's disappearance?"

"We found it in the area that the maintenance worker Tekli tracked down said she disappeared," he replied curtly.

"I'll have the scientists start working on figuring out what it is immediately. Unfortunately," she added with the certainty only a high ranking Intelligence officer can posses, "We don't have any of the experts here. We lost track of both Danni Quee and Cilghal after the fall of Coruscant and Tahiri, one of the few who have complete command of the language went with Master Skywalker."

She paused, briefly asking a passing technician about the whereabouts of a specific scientist and then continued walking through the lab assuredly, although to Kyp it all looked like a maze. "Fortunately," she continued, "Lowbacca is here, he worked with Jaina on a lot of the modifications they made at Hapes. He should be a big help. Listen," she said as they reached a set of large double doors leading into a restricted section of the lab, "there's not much else you can do here until they," she gestured loosely at the surrounding scientists, "tell us what this does. So, why don't you get some rest, or run Twins Suns through some drills or something like that. I'll have you notified as soon as I know something."

"What about whoever did this?" questioned Kyp, darkly, "are the just going to be let off?"

Smiling menacingly, Iella murmured darkly, "I already have people, including some Jedi investigating the site where we found this. We should know soon, very soon who did this. I assume you'll want to be notified immediately when we find whoever did it, Vong or Peace Brigade."

As Kyp nodded and walked off down the corridor, Iella couldn't help but reflect that she was very glad that she wouldn't be in the shoes of the Vong or Peace Brigader that did this when Kyp Durron caught up with them. She also devoutly hoped that-for the perpetrator's sake- Jaina Solo and Jagged Fel where fine when they were found or else well, nothing in the galaxy could save them from the combined wrath of the Skywalker-Solo clan.

* * * * * * *

"Jaina, Jaina," called Leia when Jaina seemed to be distracted.

"Oh, sorry, Leia. What's the matter?"

Looking slightly uncomfortable, Leia nevertheless replied. "Nothing is the matter. I was just, well you said I named one of my kids after Darth, my father and I why? Why did I do that?" she asked Jaina, imploring the girl to answer a question that she desperately needed an answer to.

Jaina sensed through the force that this was a very sensitive conversation for her mother so she chose her words very carefully. "Anakin is only a year and a half younger than me, so I don't really know what you were thinking when he was born. I do know that you did it as an act of reconciliation with my grandfather and the galaxy as a whole."

"How can you and Luke do that?" Leia asked incredulous, "how can it be so easy for you to acknowledge that connection?"

"You and Dad never hid it from us. We've known our entire lives. At times I'll admit, it was scary knowing what we had the potential to become, but it also motivated us, made us work harder to prevent that from happening again."

Jaina knew that this wasn't entirely true. She remembered vividly her recent brush with the dark side and how little she had cared at the time. However, she didn't feel she needed to tell her mother about that or the death of her sons.

Leia's voice cut into her thoughts abruptly, "You say you started fighting when you were sixteen, what was your life like before then?"

Jaina laughed slightly, uncomfortably and then even though she didn't want to upset her mother the way she knew her answer would, she felt her mother deserved to know. "Jacen and I were born during the conflict with the Empire. We weren't even a week old before we were almost kidnapped. Only the intervention of the woman who would one day be our aunt saved us."

Jaina sighed and closed her eyes before she continued, striving to keep her customary resentment out of her voice. "Because of that and other threats against us you sent us away to a safe planet. Eventually after he was born, Anakin joined us." Leia remained silent but Jaina could see the color drain from her face. "When we were about two, we came back to Coruscant where we lived. Anakin came back soon after that because of another kidnapping attempt."

She paused and studied Leia's face for a moment making sure she was okay before continuing with her story. "We lived as normal of lives as possible, mainly we traveled with you and Dad as long as it wasn't deemed as too dangerous. When we were five and two respectively, the three of us were kidnapped from Chewie's care while you were working at a conference on Cordui-Jai by a guy named Hethir. We figured out that Hethir wasn't what he seemed and Jacen and I got ourselves out but Anakin was taken elsewhere. Finally you and Dad and Uncle Luke caught up with him. After that things changed, you or Dad were with us at all times." A smile flitted across Jaina's face as she continued her expression lightening briefly. "Life continued pretty much like that until Jacen and I were seven. Then all of us took a family trip to Corellia. There we got caught in the middle of a coup de ta by a distant relative of Dad's. He once again kidnapped us but we got the last laugh. Together the three of us flew the 'Falcon and disabled his ship."

"Giving you your first kill on the 'Falcon's guns," interjected Leia speaking at last.

"Right. Well things went pretty smoothly after that until we were about ten."

"Let me guess," Leia bit out sarcastically, "you were kidnapped again."

"Well not quite but, a lot did change. That year Uncle Luke married Mara Jade, an event that shocked the galaxy for more than one reason, and the New Republic- the government the Rebel Alliance morphed into- made peace with the Imperial Remnant."

"Wow, It sounds like a busy year."

"It was. When we were thirteen or fourteen though, we were started attending Uncle Luke's Jedi Academy on Yavin Four. We lived and trained there for the next three years going through various challenges, kidnappings and adventures until the Yuuzhan Vong came along and made the empire seem like a piece of cake." A brief pained look passed over Jaina's face before she explained. "That's why Jag and I had so many kills today. Compared to what we're used to fighting, this is like target practice."

"Wow," Leia breathed, "You're life is very different from how I would have pictured it."

"It wasn't all bad," Jaina reassured her, "I just gave a few of the high points."

"I just can't picture it. I haven't really thought much about the future," admitted Leia in a reflective tone, "I know I truly love Han, but I have never thought about our future."

Jaina smiled unused to seeing Leia in such an open mood, but was startled even more when Leia started talking again.

"I wonder what Father, Bail," Leia corrected herself, "would have thought of Han."

Snorting derisively, Jaina added sarcastically, "And here I am hoping that my father won't shoot my boyfriend on site."

"That bad, huh?" asked Leia in a commiserating tone of voice, momentarily diverted.

"Oh," muttered Jaina with a slight smirk, "Dad's just a little overprotective at times. I am his only daughter after all."

Leia paused as if hit by a deep thought then looked at Jaina seriously for a moment. "Do we get along well?"

Surprised at the question, Jaina's reply was a little more defensive than she had intended. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," this time it was Leia's turn to stall, "you seem to be a lot like me and as stubborn as I am," she allowed her words to trail off.

Surprising even herself, Jaina answered Leia honestly. You're right we haven't always gotten along well. The stiff formalities and endless posturing of diplomacy always seemed despicable to me. I was more like Dad. I just wanted to go in lightsaber blazing and blasting away, but you weren't generally fond of that approach. Plus," she rolled her eyes, "I'm something of a rebel. I hate being dwarfed by your shadow and I'm very impulsive. Instead of continuing my Jedi training like my brothers I joined Rogue Squadron." Jaina sighed, but then said, "You didn't really approve but you made sure I could because it was necessary."

Choosing her words carefully Leia asked, "Because of this new horrible menace you and Jag have been talking about?"

Jaina nodded quickly confirming Leia's suspicion before Leia started to ask her next question. She was interrupted however, by the chirping of her commlink.

Leia spoke quietly into it for a moment, then looked at Jaina regretfully. "I'm sorry Jaina but I have to go, Senator Belden wants to speak to me. Chewie and Han will probably go with me and Jag is with Luke will you be okay here?"

"Oh yeah, sure," Jaina said dismissively, "I'll probably just meditate or something."

* * * * * * * * * *

Jaina wandered around the suite idly for a moment or two before she finally settled down on the repulsor couch. She was almost drifting off into sleep in the fighter pilot's habit of catching sleep whenever possible, when Jag entered. Delighted to see him but forcing herself to appear reserved out of habit, Jaina stopped herself from running over to him and throwing herself into his arms.

"What have you and Uncle Luke been doing?"

"Mostly x-wing maintenance," he said as he walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. No longer being able to resist, Jaina leaned over and kissed him. Jag's face lit up as he returned her kiss whole heartedly.

Minutes later when they finally came up for air, Jag asked knowingly, "How did your talk with Princess Organa go?"

"Better than I had expected actually. She's less dignified, more approachable, more in the spirit of the Rebellion I suppose."

She looked up at Jag noting his sudden shift in emotion both through the force and by the expression on his face. Straightening she asked, "What's the matter, Jag?"

He refused to look at her, to even answer her. He was almost beginning to frighten her with his silence, and while he wasn't usually Mr. Talkative he usually didn't have a problem telling her what was on his mind.

"Jag, Jag" she repeated more urgently, "what's the matter? What's going on?"

Finally Jag looked at her. Jaina could sense the division in his thoughts. He knew what he had to say would upset her, but he refused to back down because he felt that it must be said. "I don't think we should help them fight, I think we should help them fight. I think we should leave, commandeer a few x-wings and go off to some deserted planet. We shouldn't be here, Jaina," he said more anxiously, "the more we say and the more we do, the more we change. What if we vape some Imperial pilot that's supposed to do something important? We could change the course of history. Jaina, this is serious."

"So we're just supposed to leave them here, desert them. Who's to say we weren't meant to be here, Jag. We can help them so much." Both Jaina and Jag were shocked at the vehemence of her response.

"I think this Goddess thing has gone to you head, Jaina because anyone would know better than to try to play with the fate of people's lives, of the balance of power in the universe."

She looked at him, deeply hurt for a moment before her pain turned into anger. Abruptly she pushed away from him and stood. "I don't believe you would say that. Jag we could save the lives of so many Rebels and the citizens of Bakura."

"Yes," he replied just as determinately, "but at what cost to the empire. You know as well as I do how this mission ends."

"So that's it," Jaina said slowly, "It's you precious Empire, I didn't know you were such a fan, why don't you go and join them then?"

"Jaina that's not what I meant, I'm just saying it's not our place to rewrite history even if it seems like it would make the future better."

But by this time, Jaina was refusing to look at him or talk to him. So, instead he sighted and sent a "fine but we'll talk about this later, Jaina," at his furious girlfriend as he stalked out.


	5. The Fight

After Jag left, Jaina flopped back down on the couch. She knew he was partly right at least there were things that she hadn't told her family, things that she was sorely tempted to tell them, the death of Chewbacca, her brothers , the list could become endless. But she would never burden her parents with that knowledge, yet she couldn't fully agree with Jag either. Surely saving the lives of Rebel pilots wasn't a bad thing. In fact, protection was the mandate of the Jedi.

"Troubling thoughts those are little one."

In one smooth automatic move, Jaina was off of the couch and turning to face the intruder, lightsaber drawn before she completely stood.

"Impressive," said the slightly blue fuzzy figure before her.

Unsure whether to trust the mysterious, well he was probably either a holoprojection or a dead Jedi. Almost as if the man before had read her thoughts, which Jaina thought darkly, if he was 'one with the force' like her Uncle was always saying, then he probably had.

The man spoke softly as if not to frighten her. "Don't be afraid, Little One, but I'm Anakin Skywalker."

To his surprise the girl acted relieved, "You're dead right?" She asked casually reattaching her lightsaber to her belt.

Looking slightly offended Anakin nonetheless answered her, "Well yes I am."

As a new thought struck her, Jaina cocked her head slightly and asked curiously, "Do you know who I am?"

"Of course," he replied immediately, "You're my granddaughter, Jaina Solo."

"So I guess Uncle Luke was right when he said the force was all encompassing," Jaina muttered under her breath. Raising her voice she asked, "So cutting to the power cable here, why are you here, Grandfather?"

"Well on one hand, I am here to see your mother, to beg for her forgiveness, and on the other I was sent to help you. There is a way for you and your boyfriend to return to your own time, but the will of the force has sent you here for a reason and there are requirements that must be fulfilled before you can return."

"Oh great a real Jedi quest." Jaina muttered sarcastically, "What am I supposed to do now?"

"I cannot tell you, Jaina, only know that it is the will of the force."

"Cryptic Jedi masters, what's new, or should I say what's old," snapped Jaina.

"Hey," the old man snapped back, "I'm not cryptic or old. I swore I'd never be like Obi-wan."

"Trust me, from what I've heard, you are nothing like Obi-Wan, Grandfather."

"True," he acknowledged, but then he cocked his head as if distracted. When he refocused on her, he said, "Jaina, I can't stay here I must go." He looked serious for a moment and the continued abruptly. "Convey my love to your mother and uncle when you return, and Jaina, know that Anakin loves you and is with you always." He paused once again, this time his face took on an almost protective or paternal look and he smiled sadly at Jaina. "In time the pain and the darkness will heal, Little One." And, with that Anakin Skywalker faded into nothingness, leaving Jaina suddenly feeling bereft.

His parting message and the thought of her little brother watching over her reminded her of Anakin. Reminded her that she would never see him again, reminded her that she had failed at the one task in life she held most important, protecting her little brother.

Overwhelmed she sank slowly to the floor, dissolving in to tears, truly grieving for the first time, not caring if someone saw her. She had been so distracted lately, purposefully so. Now though there was no task to be completed with life and death urgency, no sudden fighter alarms, just silence and emptiness.

When alert alarms started blaring, Jaina mentally amended her last thought as she grabbed her flight gear with one hand and flipped on her comm. link to Luke, demanding to know what was happening and who she was flying with as she ran towards the hangar bays, along with, she noted Imperial and even a few Rebel pilots.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

By the time she had reached the hangar bay, one maybe two squadrons were already lifting off. Probably the one's already on alert, she reasoned as she scrambled into her fighter and completed her pre-flight check in record time. She was flying in Rogue Squadron under the command of the not yet famous Wedge Antilles. As she lifted off with the rest of the Rogue's- she was flying as Rogue eleven ironically-she barely had time to wonder, just for a moment about Jag's whereabouts' before three flight, the group she was a part of, entered the fight.

Two of her flight group were vaped by the Ssi Ruk seconds after entering the dogfight. Laser fire was thick in the void, with the forces so tangled together that a missed shot was as likely to hit a friend as a foe. The brilliant glare and almost constant explosions were almost blinding. Reacting purely on instinct Jaina didn't try to retreat but instead rushed madly into the fighter-brawl, hot on the tail of a Ssi-Ruk fighter, while snapping at the only remaining fighter in her flight group, Rogue twelve, a green rookie, to stay close.

And, then she was in the thick of it. Despite the constant barrage of deadly laser fire and the enemy's overwhelming forces, she wasn't worried. These enemies she could feel with the force, a fact which she wasn't used to, but gladly took advantage of. So falling into the force, she began to cut a swath through the enemy. With her wingmate beside her, they began wracking up kill after kill, but despite that she wasn't immune and minor damage began to add up. Three percent loss of shields here and ten percent damage there and soon she found herself surrounded with no way out and no shields.

The situation looked pretty bleak, after all even a goddess was only so good. But her Solo luck, which seemed to have deserted her in her own time, looked as if it was making a brief reappearance. Her wingmate suddenly appeared in front of her-catching the bolt of laser fire that would have blown up Jaina's x-wing- and snapped off a quick shot at the Ssi- Ruk. As the enemy fighter exploded out in a ball of flame and shrapnel, Rogue twelve jinked to miss a large piece coming strait for them. Even as her wingmate jinked, Jaina's danger sense began screaming. Feeling the situation through the force, even before it had fully developed, Jaina tried to avoid it and realized, seconds before impact that she didn't have enough power to maneuver.

* * * * * * * *

"Durron, we have another problem."

Startled Kyp Durron glanced up from his noon meal into the face of Iella Antilles. "What's the matter? Did you find something out about Jaina?"

"Well yes actually but right now we have bigger problems. Leia Organa Solo is on the holonet and she wants to speak to Jaina. I told her that Jaina was unavailable and she practically demanded to talk to you."

"Do you think Leia suspects anything," Kyp asked as he rose and started towards the communications center.

"I don't know, with her you can never tell. I don't think she really suspects anything she's just calling to check up on Jaina."

"Okay thanks, Iella. I'll try to make up some plausible excuse for her absence. I just hope I don't end up regretting this."

"Me too Durron, me too," answered Iella seriously.

* * * * * * * * *

"Kyp," despite the calm expression on Leia Organa Solo's face, her eyes and voice betrayed her true anxiety, "is she okay?"

"Of course," he replied imbuing his voice with as much confidence as he could muster, "she's just not available right now."

"Where exactly is she then Kyp?"

"Come now Princess," Kyp replied in his most diplomatic voice, "surely you know this is not a secure channel."

Leia looked momentarily angry but then clarified, "But she is all right then."

"She's fine Princess. You know Jaina, but I think right now she's actually taking some time off." Kyp hoped devoutly that Leia wasn't as good as her brother at detecting lies and that Leia would never have to find out about this or he didn't even want to think about what she would do to him, especially if Jaina was not fine.

* * * * * * * *

Commander Luke Skywalker sat aboard the Mon Calamari star cruiser that he commanded and watched the skirmish unfold around him. It was a relatively small skirmish, as skirmishes went, but there were some reports of very heavy fighting coming in. Momentarily talking his eyes off of the main tactical displays, trusting his captains and the Imperials under Pter Thanas to do their jobs, he focused on the area of space where Rogue Squadron was supposed to be.

Dismayed, he realized that the Rogues had been cut nearly in half, sustaining heavy losses and were still surrounded by several dozen Ssi-Ruvi fighters. Immediately he began surveying the region for unengaged forces. Although the fighting was fairly light in most spots, few of his forces were totally unoccupied, except for, he noticed, the Millennium Falcon.

"Han," he called quickly, "I need you."

"What's up, Kid?" Han's reply came back immediately.

"Wedge and Rogue Squadron are in trouble. They need support, now."

"Okay, Luke, we'll take care of it for you."

The Millennium Falcon dived into the fighting twisting in and out of formations and avoiding laser beams. As they approached the blazing mass of fighters, Han relinquished the controls to Chewbacca and raced to join Leia up in the gun turrets. Chewie's roar of dismay made Han jerk and fire the quad laser's prematurely.

Seeing Han's premature shot Leia asked anxiously, "Han, what's the matter, What did Chewie say?"

Almost growling in frustration, he bit out, "Chewie said that Jaina's fighter exploded." At Leia's shocked gasp he continued, "She successfully ejected but it's going to take a near miracle to get her out of that." He gestured shortly but expressively at the seething mass of fighters.

*Leia* suddenly came a voice in her head. Her first thought was Luke, that he was calling to her as he had done at Cloud City, but she dismissed the notion almost as soon as it hit her. The contact she felt had been feminine.

*Jaina?* she queried not sure if she could send thoughts as well as receive them.

Jaina's reply was instantaneous and authoritative. Although it was more a series of pictures and impressions than coherent thoughts or words the message still came across clearly.

*Go to these coordinates* obligingly a set of coordinates appeared in Leia's head and she called out, "Chewie we need to go over there.

Then the rest of Jaina's message began to filter into her mind. *Open the cargo bay doors, dead stop the 'Falcon for five seconds and then shut the doors.*

Hurriedly Leia repeated the rest of the message to Chewbacca. Then she scrambled out of the gun turret and down to the cargo bay. What she saw when she entered amazed her. Jaina, or what she assumed to be Jaina was an anonymous pilot sitting in an anonymous space suit strapped on to an anonymous ejection seat. She saw the chair drift into the cargo bay and land, gently and precisely on the deck as if under its own power, yet none of its maneuvering systems seemed so be activated.

Snapping out of her momentary stupor, Leia ran towards the ejection seat. When she reached Jaina, she realized that although the girl had many bruises and quite a few severe cuts, she appeared to be fine. She looked a bit stunned and Leia devoutly hoped that Jaina wasn't going into shock. That was the last thing either of them needed, but except for looking a bit green and having trembling hands as she took of her helmet and undid her restraints, Jaina looked fine.

As Leia helped her down from the ejection seat she tried to start a conversation with Jaina just to make sure that the girl didn't have a concussion. "Was that your first time EV?"

"No," Jaina replied grimly, "but the last time I wasn't conscious."

As she said it, Leia noticed that she seemed to be a little shaken, not that, that was anything unexpected after what Jaina had just been through. "Here," Leia gestured down the corridor towards the 'Falcon's crew quarters as Jaina started shaking in a delayed reaction to the cold of space, "let's get you in here. We can get some thermal blankets to warm you up and get several bacta patches on you to stop the bleeding."

Half-sensing, half-seeing Jaina's worried gaze, Leia reassured her. "Oh don't worry about the fight, Jaina, Han and Chewie have it under control." Then she rolled her eyes and said sharply, "Well at least as much as is possible with those two."

Jaina smiled weakly as if to reply, but then instead she crumpled as her body just gave out. Acting on instinct, Leia caught her an instant before she hit the decking breaking Jaina's fall.


	6. Fighter Duel

When Jaina woke an hour later, she was in one of the Falcon's bunks, and despite looking much newer than what she remembered, she recognized her surroundings immediately. Immediately she started to sit up, but, still groggy, she was stopped by a gentle hand.

Recognizing it as her mother's despite, the Rancors that seemed to be partying in her head, she groaned, "Mom? What happened? Am I okay?"

A bit shocked by how Jaina addressed her, it took Leia a moment to reply, but when she did her voice wasn't quite steady. In fact, is sounded as if she had recently been crying, although she was covering it well. "You went EV. We got you back on board the 'Falcon and then you passed out. We landed back on Bakura, but we didn't want to move you so, we left you here."

"Oh," Jaina groaned as she used the force to block her pounding headache. As she reached into the force, she began to widen her perception of the world around her as her aunt had taught her. To her surprise she felt waves of anguish pouring off of Leia.

Startled Jaina focused her force senses on Leia. "Are you all right? You don't feel so great." When Leia still didn't reply she tried another tactic, "Where's D-Han?" she quickly corrected herself trying not to make Leia feel awkward.

To her surprise Leia's features darkened even more. Catching her look, Jaina said definitively, "You two had a fight."

"How did you know?" Leia snapped, whipping around to face her.

But, Leia's fury didn't intimidate Jaina, "What were you fighting about this time?"

After a few moments of silence Jaina groaned and rolled over, "I forgot, I inherited my stubborn nature from you. I'm going to get some rest. Wake me up if you feel like talking."

Several minutes passed in silence, and then, "I saw Anakin Skywalker."

Jaina rolled back over to face her. Forcing herself not to be cold and emotionless, Jaina asked softly, "What did he say?"

"He wanted to apologize to me and to Han and for me to give Luke a message."

"Did you forgive him?"

"Of course not," Leia almost snarled, "After what he did to me, to Han, to my real father."

Seeing the problem and knowing it was futile to argue with her mother, Jaina tried different tactic. "Your father, huh? Bail Organa. I've heard stories about him since I was practically a baby." She felt Leia calm down a little at the mention of him. "You know," Jaina continued as if her thoughts were just wandering aimlessly, although in reality it was taking a lot of effort for her to stay on topic, "In all of the stories you told me about him, what always caught my attention was his kindness, his gentleness and how he always gave people a second chance."

"Yes," Leia whispered, "that was Father. He always gave people a chance, even people who had made a lot of mistakes, as long as they would try."

"So," Jaina responded gently, "don't you think that he would want you to do the same for Anakin Skywalker. Bail Organa would not love you any less for being his daughter, in fact, he probably knew your entire life."

Suddenly seeing how perceptive Jaina had been and how she had been backed into a corner, Leia froze, caught between resignation and anger.

Jaina continued undaunted, "I know you will forgive him, what you have to do is accept him." Jaina sighed in frustration when Leia didn't reply and decided to get to the root of the problem. "But first you have to accept yourself, accept that potential in yourself and understand it. You fear that part of you, but instead of acknowledging and controlling it, you remain angry at him instead because it's easier for you."

Leia rose in fury and indignation. "How dare you? You don't know anything about me."

"Yeah, but you don't know about me either," Jaina replied calmly.

Leia paused for a moment mid-rant and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jaina met Leia's eyes straight on. "Commander Skywalker told you that I was hiding something, I assume." Leia nodded curtly staying silent. "What I was hiding was the fact that I became what you fear most. I became, for a short time, not the granddaughter of Anakin Skywalker, but of Darth Vader."

Leia looked stunned and then for one moment horrified, but quickly her look turned calculating. "If you're trying to get me to accept that part of me, then why did you tell me that."

Fighting not to break into tears as she talked, the stress of the day and the conversation catching up with her, Jaina said bluntly. "Because I wanted you to see that just because someone has turned to the Dark side doesn't mean they are evil. I went to the Dark side because, yes, I wanted revenge, but also because I was devastated and hurt. Two people very close to me were killed and I didn't know how to function without them." Trying to hold back her sobs and blinking through tears, Jaina continued, "What I did, how I did it, that wasn't right, but I didn't do it just because I enjoyed death. I just wanted the threat, the enemy to be gone, just like you."

Her face almost deathly pale, Leia quickly sat. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." Jaina didn't respond. "It's just that I found out that one of the people I've hated most in my life, well I suddenly found out that he was my father."

"I'm not talking about Darth Vader, I'm talking about Anakin Skywalker. There is a difference, you know. We don't know much about the Jedi of old but we do know that Anakin Skywalker was said to be a great, kind Jedi. Besides your every action and emotion except for your hate is another defeat for Darth Vader. Regardless of all that none of this is Han's fault."

Leia seemed to calm a bit and rose out of her seat. "I think I understand now. It doesn't mean that I love him, Anakin Skywalker, but," she trailed off.

"Of course," Jaina answered with understanding.

"If you'll be okay here, I think I need to go talk to Luke."

To tired to do anything but nod in agreement, Jaina was shocked when Leia leaned over and kissed her on the cheek as she left and said, "Thank you, Jaina. Chewie will be around if you need him."

* * * * * * *

Jagged Fel was worried, as close to frantic or emotional as the Chiss trained pilot ever got. Six hours ago he had seen the news broadcast reporting a recent space battle. Still furious at Jaina, but worried nonetheless, he had commed Jaina almost immediately. He would never forget the heart stopping feeling of being unable to reach her. The city, crowded from the influx of refugees from the outlying Ssi-Ruk targeted areas, had slowed his progress considerably. Even as he continued comming Jaina, he struggled towards the suite shared by Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa.

Jaina groaned as she woke up and all of her aches and pains floated back to her. She glanced at the chronometer noticing that only an hour had passed since she had fallen asleep after Leia had left. Some unknown instinct forced her to swing her legs over the edge of the bunk and make her way to a standing position on very wobbly legs. Unsteadily she walked out of the main cabin area and towards the lounge.

When she entered the room, she froze, seeing Chewbacca sitting on a large couch that was bolted to the 'Falcon's inner hull. She paused, momentarily soaking up his unique presence in the force, a warm comforting, strong presence that she had thought she would never feel again. She let the feel of it envelop her, but then came back to reality as she focused on the words Chewbacca had just growled out.

[ So, Little One, if you are the daughter of Han, then you too must be part of my honor family.]

Fighting the tears that threatened to spill down her face and her annoyance at having been so emotional lately, Jaina managed to get out. "Yes, you were like a favorite uncle to me and my brothers. I haven't seen you in a while. I really missed you."

As Chewie considered this for a moment, Jaina felt what little strength her rest had given her leave and she slumped, exhausted against the wall. Seeing her exhaustion Chewie walked over to Jaina and picked her up in his arms, gently cradling her as if she was just a small child.

[ Rest now, Jaina,] he growled out softly, [ You'll be safe here with me.]

Safe, in his protective arms, Jaina truly relaxed for the first time since she had received the terrible news of his death at Serndipal. Secure in his arms she fell into an exhausted slumber. Chewie gazed gently down at the small human girl in his arms. She looked so fragile, even for a human, yet he could see the indomitable strength of her spirit. Stroking her hair gently, the giant Wookie began to croon a traditional Wookie lullaby, not knowing that many years in the future he would croon that very same lullaby to a young Jaina Solo when she was angry or distressed.

* * * * * * * *

Jag pushed the great doors to the suite apart hurriedly, not bothering to knock and froze almost as soon as he did. He knew he should leave but, well he seemed to be frozen to the spot from the sight before him. Han and Leia in a position that could only be called compromising. Abruptly regaining control of his motor skills, Jag pivoted away from them to face the doors. Getting to tease Leia about the look of mortification on her face would have been priceless to Han, had he not known that Leia would make him regret it for a very long time.

So instead he said, "What do you want, Fel?"

"Where's Jaina?" Jag demanded tersely. "Is she okay? I couldn't raise her comm. link."

Noting Jag's frantic tone but wanting a little revenge, Han said tonelessly. "Well that's what happens to comm. links when they hit hard vacuum."

"What!" Jag snapped whirling to face them, but then immediately remembered and turned away.

Taking pity on him, Leia slapped Han lightly on the chest and then answered Jag. "She was in the middle of a large dogfight when she was faced to go EV because her x-wing exploded. She's fine," she emphasized quickly, "but she needs some rest. She's still on the 'Falcon. Chewie's there with her."

They barely heard Jag's hurried, "Thank you," as he rushed back out of the suite.

* * * * * * * *

Jag rushed up the Millennium Falcon's boarding ramp then stopped to catch his breath. Remembering what Leia had said, Jag approached more quietly, not wanting to disturb Jaina's rest. He stuck his head around the corner and glanced around the ship's lounge. The sight of Jaina sleeping peacefully brought a smile to his face and then his relief and happiness turned to shock as he recognized the Wookie, in whose arms Jaina was cradled.

The Wookie, Chewbacca, Jag knew, groaned a question at him. To Jag's confusion, he couldn't understand a word the Wookie had said. The noise, however, had woken Jaina. Instead of being angry as Jag had feared Jaina appeared to be only groggy.

"Hmm, Jag, 's that you?"

She didn't appear too interested in talking, but Jag didn't care. He was too glad to see her alive. Chewie groaned again, but this time Jaina answered. "He's my boyfriend, Chewie, and my wingmate."

She paused for a moment and then turned away from Jag to whisper in Chewie's ear. The Wookie nodded agreeing to Jaina's suggestion. On his way out of the room, he paused in front of Jag.

He gave a lengthy series of groans and growls, and then waited while Jaina translated. "Chewie says to tell you that if you ever hurt me, his honor daughter, in any way, that he would be forced to make you regret the day you were born, as well as disarming your threat potential." She giggled and then said seriously, "And, I think he meant that comment about disarming literally."

Jag looked seriously at Chewbacca and said, "Sir, I have no intention of ever hurting Jaina. In fact, I have every intention of protecting her for as long as she will allow me to."

Chewbacca gave what could only be a groan of approval, before thumping Jag so heartily on the back that Jag almost flew across the room.

After Chewie exited, they continued to stare at one another in silence. Finally Jag broke the silence. "You know, I meant what I said to Chewbacca and I'm sorry about for what I said about how you were acting. I was just afraid. I didn't want to loose you."

As Jaina tried to interrupt him, he pressed a finger to her lips. "This wasn't our fight and you seemed like you had forgotten about everything back home and that upset me. But I do understand why you wanted to protect as many Rebels as you could. That's one of the things that I love most about you."

Both of them froze at his confession. Jag had realized almost immediately upon seeing Jaina that there was something special about her, but it was after their first kiss that he realized he was really serious about Jaina.

Jaina, too, sat frozen. She had known Jag cared about her greatly and she returned that feeling, but she smiled. The smile was so brilliant that it momentarily shocked Jag.

However, that was nothing compared to the shock he got when Jaina spoke. "I love you, too, Jag and I'm sorry for what I said earlier. You were right, as much as I enjoy getting to see Mom from a new perspective, I agree, I don't think we have the right to interfere with the past."

Amazed at what Jaina had said, Jag reached up to brush a lock of hair away from her face, at the same time leaning over to kiss her. Just as there lips were about to meet, a knock on the door frame interrupted them. Both jerked back in surprise and looked up to see a concerned if slightly sheepish Wedge Antilles standing there.

"Jaina, right," he asked, cheerfully.

"Uh, yeah," she replied cautiously.

"I'm Wedge Antilles, the leader of Rogue Squadron. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to come see you sooner, but Luke said that you were doing okay."

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better, now," she said shooting a smile at Jag.

Wedge was so excited as he continued speaking that he didn't even notice. "That was some pretty impressive flying you did out there. I could use several more pilots like you."

"Thanks, but I'm one of a kind," Jaina snapped back cockily, bringing a smile to both Wedge and Jag's faces.

"Well that's a shame," countered Wedge, "When do you think you'll be able to start simming with the rest of the squadron?"

At that Jaina's face darkened. "Wedge," she asked carefully, "would you mind giving Jag and I a while alone and I'll get back to you soon."

"Okay, Jaina, let me know. I want you back flying as soon as possible, though."

As soon as he left, Jaina turned to Jag, "We have a problem."

Jag groaned, "not another one."

"I know, I know, but this goes back to our previous discussion about what we should do now that we seem to be stuck here, in this time."

"What are you saying," asked Jag carefully not desiring a repeat of their previous fight.

"Well, I agree that we should try to minimize how much we change this time period, but my grandfather paid me a visit yesterday."

"Your Grandfather!" Jag exclaimed. "Jaina are you telling me that Darth Vader is still alive."

Jaina laughed at Jag's shock and fear. "No of course not. Why would you think? Oh," she groaned, "Of course, you wouldn't know. Sometimes dead Jedi can appear to living Jedi who were close to them for one reason or another. Oh and it wasn't Darth Vader it was Anakin Skywalker."

He looked at her very skeptically for a moment as if he wasn't sure if she was sane or not. Finally he seemed to accept what she had said or at least forced himself to get past it. "So what did Anakin Skywalker have to say?"

"Several things actually," Jaina responded quietly, suddenly sad, "but the only relevant thing was that there was a reason we were here and certain things that we have to do before we can go back to our own time."

After she finished, she simply waited for Jag's reply. To her surprise, Jag didn't seem at all upset, just slightly disgruntled. "Well, Goddess, I suppose if a dead Sith Lord wishes it that way, then that's what we'll do."

Glancing at Jag, Jaina suddenly had an urge to kiss him, one she quickly followed up on. Smiling at her as they pulled apart, Jag asked, "What was that for?"

"Wedge interrupted us." She said simply, "And," she paused regretfully, "I should probably go. Wedge is probably expecting me in the sims."

"Just be sure and don't call him Wedge to his face," Jag called as she left.

* * * * * * * *

When Jaina entered the simulation room aboard the flag ship of Luke Skywalker's fleet, a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, she immediately noticed the older technology in the simulation units.

Almost as soon as she entered the room, Wedge Antilles head popped out of one of the mock cockpit hatches. "I didn't expect you up her so soon, Jaina. Are you sure you're ready to go?" With a cocky grin, and a confident nod, Jaina left no doubt in his mind that she at least felt ready. "Excellent, right this way."

He lead her over to a near by empty x-wing simulator, popped the hatch and gestured for her to crawl in. "Be sure and strap in. This thing is as realistic as possible."

Smiling from ear to ear, excited to be flying again without the knowledge that the lives of many people hung in the balance, even if it was only simulated flight, Jaina almost started laughing in delight. Reigning herself in she focused back on her flying and was almost vaped as twin laser bolts streaked passed her.

Jerking her ship to the left and dropping down into a tight loop designed to bring her up behind her attacker, Jaina used the milliseconds of reprieve to fall deep into the flow of the force. However, as she had assumed, Wedge was too good of a pilot for that maneuver to work as intended. Sighing and focusing on her rear sensor displays where Wedge was trying to light her shields up with laser fire and, she noticed, was actually succeeding, much to Jaina's dismay.

For a brief moment Jaina felt a sense of helplessness and frustration like she had only felt at the beginning of her run through Lando's Asteroid belt when she was sixteen and in the moments before Anakin's death. Then, though as now, that feeling would do nothing to help her. Surveying the space around her, searching for anything to help her win this battle Jaina abruptly realized that the simulation placed them in the middle of deep space surrounded by nothingness. Wishing for a moment that she could simply deploy a shadow bomb as she usually would, Jaina began to form a plan.

* * * * * * * *

Wedge Antilles sat in his cockpit, spraying laser fire at the ship in front of him. Jaina had lasted longer, much longer than most people he had ever flown against. She had an almost uncanny ability to dodge shots or at least maneuver so that his lasers would inflict minimal damage. He sent another barrage of laser fire at her, this time at her two engines, hoping to slow her down and cut her maneuverability down enough to get a clean weapons lock. Wedge only allowed himself a brief moment of triumph as two of the engine's on Jaina's x-wing blinked out sending her x-wing into an uncontrollable multi-axis tumble.

To his surprise, Jaina overcompensated for the tumble and before he could fire, before he had even realized what she was doing, the girl's tumbling had leveled off. She was now behind him and was taking advantage of the situation, firing off rapid shots.

* * * * * * *

The flight officer on duty in the flight simulator room was stunned. To his knowledge, no one with the exception of Luke Skywalker had ever lasted this long against Commander Antilles. Quickly he pulled out his comm. link and summoned all the pilots he knew that liked a good bet. When he turned back to monitoring the simulated duel, he was shocked to still see the unknown pilot flying.

By the time the crowd of pilots had gathered their numbers had increased, everyone bringing a friend or two with them to watch in amazement at the spectacular flying they were witnessing. Soon the two pilots were pulling off such intricate, close-range, daring maneuvers that at times the two x- wings could hardly be distinguished from one another, and then as suddenly as it had begun it was over.

Wedge and Jaina had once again reversed positions and he had been inflicting heavy damage on Jaina's ship as they flashed through space. With one quick maneuver, Jaina found a whole in Wedge's shields and sent a proton torpedo streaking after his ship. After Wedge's ship exploded no one seemed to know what to do, least of all Jaina.

She had just shot down the legendary Wedge Antilles, granted in her time he had, had many, many more years of experience, but still she hadn't thought that it was possible. Yet, she had just done it. She wondered idly what her brothers, or even Kyp Durron would say if they were there.

Her shocked musings were interrupted as the hatch popped open and a hand appeared to help her out, accompanied by the sound of muted cheers. To Jaina's surprise the hand belonged to none other than Wedge.

"I was right!" He exclaimed cheerfully, not sounding the least bit disgruntled. "I knew you had potential. Come on I'll buy you a drink and we can exchange trade secrets."

Jaina was soon pulled off into the rest of the rambunctious crowd. As she was pulled along Jaina dimly noticed her uncle in the back of the crowd and accepted his shouted congratulations excitedly.

It was a few hours before she was able to retreat to an area of relative quiet. In the past few hours the aches and pains from her injuries had begun returning and now as she lay on a couch in a deserted pilot's lounge, she considered calling Jag to give her a hand in getting back planetside.

She caught a flash of a woman moving around in the back of the lounge from the corner of her eye. As she rose to a sitting position and fumbled through the baggy pockets of her flight suit for her comm. link, her danger sense suddenly started screaming. Jaina reacted instantly but was inevitably to slow. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a flash of red that seemed very familiar.


	7. Mara Jade?

"Wedge come on, you know that the girls only have a few minutes to talk to us." Iella Wessiri reminded her husband as he fumbled into his clothes, getting ready to report for duty after his daughter's call.

"I'm coming, Dear," he said, hastily walking in to the room and coming up beside his wife of many years.

With both of their daughters on the secret Jedi base called Shelter, along with Ben Skywalker and the rest of the Jedi children, they had few opportunities to talk to their daughters. Wedge regretted not having more time to spend with Myri and Syal, but with the war going on there was no telling when he or Iella would next have a chance to see their children. So, when the opportunity presented itself, he and Iella always made sure to spend as much time as possible with the girls, even if it was just a short Holo comm. call. A light on the holoprojector finally flickered on and a small hologram of their daughters appeared.

Myri, their younger daughter was the first to greet them. "Hi Daddy," Syal chimed in quickly adding a greeting to their mother.

Feeling the tension in his wife as he loosely embraced her from behind Wedge spoke first. "How are my two favorite girls?"

The girls giggled and launched into simultaneous conversations about their recent activities, regaling their parents with all of their recent adventures. "Are you two all right, do you need anything," asked Iella with motherly concern.

"No, Mom, we're fine," answered Syal. "We've been taking classes with all of the Jedi kids here. Valin and Jysella and I even got top honors the other day for our project."

"That's great, Sweetie, just be sure and don't give Kam and Tionne too much trouble okay?" She questioned her daughters, raising her eyebrows at each of them in turn.

Glancing away from them for a moment, Syal appeared to be listening to someone else. "Mom, Dad, we have to go now, our times up."

"Okay, Sweetie, just remember that we love you both very much and Syal," added Wedge, "watch out for your sister."

"Yes, Daddy."

When the image of the two little girls disappeared both parents just stood there for a moment feeling a bit empty, although they both had duties to attend to. Finally the silence of the moment was broken by the chirping of Iella's comm. link.

"Wessiri here," she answered curtly after she thumbed it on.

Wedge couldn't here the other end of the conversation but knew from his wife's responses that their brief retreat from the world was about to end. When she finished speaking and turned the comm. link off, she turned back to face him.

"I have to go now, Wedge." She said regretfully.

"I know, Love, but I can still wish we didn't have to get back to work."

As they gathered up stray data cards and other small objects necessary for their daily duties, Iella filled Wedge in on the contents of her comm. conversation.

"That was Tekli. It seems that she and Lowbacca have been working all night on that Vong artifact that Tekli and Durron found where Jaina and Jag disappeared. According to Tekli, they've discovered what the artifact does and they want me to see their findings as soon as possible."

"Okay," Wedge replied as he scanned the room for anything he had missed, "let me know what's going on or if you need any additional personnel. I'll see you tonight," he asked the last part hopefully as he made his way towards the door to their rooms.

"I'll keep you posted and I don't know, it depends on what happens." They exchanged a brief kiss before both headed out going there separate ways.

* * * * * *

Fifteen minutes late, Iella entered the laboratory where Tekli, Lowbacca and various other scientists had been working on the unknown artifact. Almost as soon as she entered the lab, Lowbacca called her over. Grateful that she understood the Wookie language, Iella walked confidently over to where he was waiting.

"What did you find, Lowbacca?" she asked curiously.

Waving away the first part of the Wookie's statement, an apology for taking so long to figure out the function of the artifact, she asked him to repeat what he had said not quite believing her ears.

[ The creature, is related to the dovin basals the Vong use to warp gravity. We connected the creature to a vilip which in turn we connected to a holoprojector. The creature replayed for us what had happened. Apparently it was accidentally left behind by the Vong; it had a glitch though, that the Vong had not anticipated. When Jaina and Jag stopped for a certain amount of time near the creature, they accidentally activated it. We're not sure what it was supposed to do, but what it did do was use gravity to warp time and space around them sending them somewhere. ]

Iella absorbed this for a moment, trying to fight down her growing sense of dread. "Are you saying that they could be anywhere?"

Lowbacca groaned, showing reluctance to impart more bad news. "Yes and it is also possible that they are anywhen. We simply do not know."

Steeling herself to be the one to make the call to Leia Organa Solo, and feeling that she oed the woman that much purely out of motherly empathy, Iella asked one last question. "Is there any way to bring them back?"

Tekli spoke up at last, displaying a confidence in speech if not certainty that surprised Iella. "We are not sure, but we are working on it."

While that was not the most reassuring statement she had ever heard, it was enough that Iella did not have to tell Leia Organa Solo yet. So instead she made a quick call to Kyp Durron and updated him on the situation.

* * * * * * *

For the third time since she and Jag had left Borealis, Jaina regained consciousness with a throbbing headache. She really was getting tired of falling unconscious and waking with no clue about her surroundings. Needless to say she was not in a very good mood. Her mood was not helped by the fact that she was tied to a chair that was bolted to the deck in the middle of a deserted darkened room.

The room was silent, absolutely silent, eerily silent. Relaxing, consciously deciding not to panic, yet; Jaina leaned back in her chair or at least as far as she was able to, closed her eyes and reached out to feel her surroundings through the force.

She had barely begun to extend her force senses, when a voice snapped harshly, "Don't do that."

If she could have, Jaina would have fallen out of her chair at the familiar voice of her aunt Mara Jade Skywalker. Only this woman, Jaina realized wasn't her aunt, this was a much younger version of the person her aunt would become. This, Jaina realized, was Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand, a dangerous assassin who wanted to kill Luke Skywalker not kiss him.

Jaina knew that Mara had noticed her shocked expression and had also probably felt it through the force, but if the other woman had felt it she didn't acknowledge it. Instead Mara simply circled Jaina to face her.

"Who are you?" Mara demanded sharply.

"What you just go around kidnapping people now?" Jaina asked sarcastically, a tone she had actually perfected under her Aunt's tutelage, "I thought you just wanted to kill Luke Skywalker."

Mara, who had just been portraying a casual sort of icy detachment and anger, tensed noticeably but gave no other sort of reaction, at least a visible reaction. In truth, Jaina would have been more shocked if Mara had visibly reacted. However, Jaina's force skills allowed her to feel how much Mara had truly been thrown off balance by the remark.

"What do you know about that? Why were you with Luke Skywalker?" Mara demanded, reassuring herself that she had control of the situation.

"Now why would I tell you that?" Jaina asked mockingly, reminding herself once again that this woman was not her aunt but simply a hurting, confused young woman who had just had her entire life ripped away from her and only knew how to cope by lashing out in anger. Her mocking response had the effect that Jaina had hoped for and provoked the infamous Jade temper.

Getting down into Jaina's face, Mara snarled, "Because if you don't tell me, I will torture you until you wish I had just killed you."

Jaina laughed content at the predictability that her aunt's temper had shown and to further provoke Mara. Because, as Mara would teach her in the future, people who were angry did not think clearly. "First of all Mara Jade, torture isn't really your style. That's really more Darth Vader's area of expertise, and second would you really do that for a dead emperor who tore you from you home, and enslaved and used you all of your life."

Mara's face, now a mask of icy fury, loomed over Jaina's as she pressed her lower arm in to Jaina's throat slowly cutting off her air supply. "Don't you dare speak of my Master that way. He was the just, right and beneficial force that held this galaxy together, no thanks to you Rebels."

Mara spat the word out like an insult and backed away a few feet. When Jaina could breathe and speak easily again, she said calmly, "Oh I'm not with the Rebellion"

"Then where are you from," asked Mara skeptically.

"I," Jaina said casually, "am from the future."

Mara simply raised a skeptical eyebrow and said, "You really expect me to believe that."

"Well no, I would generally think someone was lying if they told me that, but you should be able to tell through the force that I'm not."

"Enough," snapped Mara tired of the girl's perception, her sarcasm and most of all her certainty that Mara would 'do the right thing.' Mentally scolding herself for kidnapping a girl that she knew so little about, Mara quickly checked Jaina's restraints, making sure the girl was properly secured and then walked out of the room leaving Jaina in a flood of darkness.

Which was in truth exactly what Jaina had been hoping for. No one, not even Luke Skywalker could escape from under Mara Jade's watchful eye, but Jaina was willing to try while she wasn't watching. Carefully extending her force senses, knowing that Mara's skills were not as well developed as before, Jaina began to examine her restraints.

They really weren't that advanced and would have been easily undone if Jaina had, had her vibroblade or her multitool with her. However, Mara was not dumb and she had immediately disarmed Jaina, even taking the smart precaution of removing the weapons from the room. But, as much as she admired her Aunt's methods and her thoroughness that would definitely not help her get out.

Jaina still had one thing going for her though. She had her force skills. It had been years since she had consistently practiced moving fine, detailed objects with the force so it took her a couple of tries and a vow to restart her training once she got home, before she got her restraints undone. She took them off quietly and allowed herself just a moment, a small moment, to revel in her momentary freedom and then quietly moved to stand next to the door.

She pressed her ear to it and used the force to get a feel of the room outside the door. She dimly felt Mara in the far corner of the room, quietly Jaina eased back from the door trying to gain some time to think. Jaina knew that she only had a slight chance against Mara and most of that chance would rely on the element of surprise. If she didn't have that she might as well go tie herself back to that chair.

Jaina went back to monitoring what was going on outside the door. When she noticed Mara sinking wearily into a chair and almost dissolving in to tears, it took all of her self-control not to automatically go and try to comfort her Aunt. But the rational, logical part of her mind quickly added, this would be the perfect time to launch your surprise attack when her defenses are down.

From years of training with Mara, Jaina was well aware of the dangers of hesitation. So, with swift certainty she gathered her confidence and charged full tilt in to the room.

* * * * * * * *

Jagged Fel paced the large living-area of the Solo suite like an angry kryt dragon. Hours ago Jaina had left him in the 'Falcon's lounge to go fly sims with Rogue Squadron. Jag had considered going with her, but in the end decided to give her some space. He most emphatically did not feel like pushing Jaina Solo. Especially with her dead Jedi-turned-Sith-turned-Jedi grandfather hanging around.

That brought up another problem, besides that fact that he was beginning to get worried about Jaina's rapidly lengthening absence, he hadn't really had a chance to think about their most recent discussion about changing the past. Jag wasn't sure what was the right or wrong thing to do in that situation, and Jag hated the uncertainty. Yet, he disliked playing with fate or for that matter being played with by fate. If only, he could figure a way out of it all.

His musings were ended abruptly when Luke Skywalker walked back through the apartment hastily checking his appearance. Noticing Jag he asked, "Jaina's not back yet?"

"No I guess she's still out celebrating with the Rogues." Jag commented, trying to keep the note of smug pride from his voice at Jaina's victory over Wedge Antilles.

"Well I hope she gets back soon. Leia wants to talk to her and with Han and Chewie gone- working on the 'Falcon, of course- she can get a little testy.

Not particularly wanting Leia Organa mad especially with the incident that afternoon Jag considered his options. "I think I'll comm. Jaina and see where she is now and when she thinks she'll be back."

Grinning cockily looking for all the worlds like a naïve farmboy, Luke said evenly, "That might be a good idea," as he walked out of the suite intent on his destination and who he was meeting there, Gariel Captisom. He had begun to question his feelings about Gariel when Jaina told him that he married another woman. Mera Jade or something, no that wasn't it, it was Mara. That was it. Well whatever, right now, no matter how intriguing this mystery woman was he had a date to keep, with Gariel.

* * * * * * *

If Jaina had, had the time as she charged at Mara Jade's semi-relaxed form, she would have cursed. The door had opened silently without so much as a hiss or puff of air to give her away. However, Jaina didn't think her comm. link could have picked a worse time to go off. Now it was going to be a fight and an ugly one at that.

The beep of the comm. link had given Mara an instants warning and that was all she needed. As soon as she heard it she flurried into a blur of motion, striking out at the girl almost by instinct. To Mara's immense surprise, the girl had already ducked, before Mara had even made her move. The two clashed together furiously fighting messily, no holds barred.

Jaina was ecstatic that her years of training seemed to be paying off. She was taking some punishment from Mara but at least she hadn't been knocked unconscious again. She couldn't keep fighting like this though, so far she had gotten through on instinct and luck, but as always her luck would eventually run out. It was best to have a plan before that happened, well before that happened.

So when Mara's next kick came up at her midsection, Jaina allowed it to catch her, not at full force of course, and carry her into the far wall. She lay there for a moment, pretending to be stunned. Taking the time that Mara was giving her as she warily approached, Jaina felt around the room for her weapons. If her weapons weren't there then she was in trouble, but they had to be. When she found them Jaina had to struggle to keep the triumphant grin off of her face to keep from alerting Mara.

When Mara first noticed that Jaina's eyes weren't focused on her, she wasn't suspicious. If the girl had truly been stunned when she hit the wall then her eyes might not necessarily be focusing on anything. But when she noticed that it wasn't that at all, Jaina's eyes were focused all right just not at her. To late Mara whirled around as the force propelled butt of Jaina's lightsaber crashed in to her head, almost immediately knocking her unconscious.


	8. Jaina and who?

As soon as she had Mara securely restrained to the chair she had previously occupied, Jaina Solo flicked on her comm. link and called Jag.

"Fel," he snapped immediately.

"Hi, Honey, "Jaina replied lightly forgetting her anger at Jag's unfortunate timing.

Before she could get another word in his anxious voice erupted from the comm. link. "Jaina are you all right? I was worried when you didn't answer your comm."

"I'm fine Jag. I was just in the middle of something." Jaina suppressed a snicker at the truth of that statement and then continued, "Um, listen, Honey, I have to take care of some things right now, but if I'm not back in a few hours, come drag me out. I miss you already."

"Sure, Jaina, I miss you too."

Jaina took a moment to savor the warmth she had grown to associate with Jag's presence and then said, "Thanks, Jag, I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Goddess."

"How disgusting," came a bitingly sharp voice from behind Jaina, where Mara was tied up.

Determined not to give in to the older woman's goading, Jaina replied serenely, "Listen Mara, I'm sorry I had to do that, but I though you might be more inclined to listen to what I had to say like this."

Mara's face showed only a blank uninterested look. Jaina stubbornly kept trying, "Look Luke Skywalker did not murder the Emperor, and there are a few things you should know before you go try to kill him."

"Like what," demanded Mara, "that he's kind to little lost Banthas. That's really going to change my mind."

Jaina barely suppressed a laugh. "Actually I wouldn't know if he was kind to Bantha cubs or not, but I do know that the Emperor wanted you to kill Luke Skywalker, not for yourself, but as a final revenge against Darth Vader, by having you kill his son."

"What are you talking about?" Mara asked suddenly confused.

"When the Emperor died, Luke Skywalker was laying on the floor practically paralyzed. Because he hadn't turned to the dark side, Darth Vader was watching the Emperor kill him. Darth Vader, though, turned away from the dark side and saved him by throwing the Emperor over the railing."

"You lying piece of filth," Mara spat, "What kind of spice are you on? I saw him die with my own two eyes. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader chopped him to pieces with their lightsabers."

"Were you actually there?" Jaina asked with surprising intensity. "No, you saw it through your master's eyes, your master who was very skilled at deception and illusion."

Mara's face was like a mask, a deadly calm mask. Jaina could feel Mara's emotions through the force. They were a jumble of mixed emotions and only half-coherent thoughts. Her emotions were so confused that Jaina actually felt sorry for doing that to her.

Jaina sighed wearily feeling for the first time since the fight with Mara, all of her recently gained bruises and lacerations as well as the dull, nagging aches from her brief trip EV. Jaina casually leaned against the wall and gingerly touched the back of her head gently probing the place where Mara had hit her and knocked her unconscious. "You pack a pretty good punch, you know. I remember why I've never been that fond of upsetting you."

"So let me go and make my day."

"Well, I would," Jaina remarked glad that Mara had at least responded, "but you'd probably go try to kill Skywalker again and I can't let you do that just yet."

"What do you mean, 'yet'? Do you have plans of your own?"

"No nothing like that. It's just that you aren't supposed to meet or you try to kill him for a few more years."

Suddenly to Jaina's immense surprise she felt herself pinned to the wall, this time with a burst of force energy directed by Mara. Hanging 3.2 meters off the ground, Jaina focused her eyes on Mara.

"Is that the best you can do, Jade?" she taunted.

"No," Mara snarled, "I can do this."

As she and Mara continued staring at one another and Mara began to focus intently, Jaina felt her windpipe begin to close. Reacting with instinctive self-preservation, Jaina immediately used the force to open her windpipe. As the struggle continued, both women vying for supremacy, Jaina choked out.

"Didn't want .do this y' know, but .forced me."

Mara felt the brush of Jaina's mind against hers and with a mental laugh raised her mental shields, confident in her ability to block out Jaina's mental intrusion. To her complete shock, the girl seemed to know exactly how to get through her mental shields and did so easily.

During her initial training, before the Emperor had taught her how to ever so carefully shield her thoughts, many of the Emperor's dark Jedi had crudely ripped into her mind. She would never forget the sense of vulnerability, fear and insecurity that she had quickly grown to hate more and more with each intrusion. This, though, was something altogether different. Mara was not inclined to trust, anyone and instinctively, defensively disliked everyone. However, as Jaina opened her mind to Mara, she realized that Jaina truly meant her no harm. A burst of images from Jaina's mind flashed through Mara's giving first hand experience of her life through Jaina's eyes.

****An often told family story of how Mara had bravely saved the infants Jacen and Jaina as well as Han and Leia. Mara dropping by one afternoon when she was on Coruscant training with Luke, to see how much the twins had grown, now that they were three and Anakin. Working together with Leia and laughing after the battle on Correlia with Luke. Mara saw herself and Luke announcing their engagement to Luke's family and their delight, especially the children's. She experienced Jaina's memory of the feeling of peace, love and completion that had permeated the air at Mara's wedding to Luke. The memories flashed by faster now showing her happiness and love of Luke, Jaina's apprenticeship, her illness, Luke's dedication throughout and then there began to be gaps in time and Jaina's sadness at her absence from Mara and her family. She felt her own joy through Jaina at the birth of her son and the incredible pain and sadness at the death of her nephew.***

When Mara and Jaina finally came out of their trancelike state exchange of pictures and emotions, tears were running down the cheeks of both.

When Jaina recovered slightly, she said, "That's why you can't kill Him."

"No," Mara almost screamed, "no I can't be in love with him. He destroyed my life."

"And if you will let him, in the future, he will give you a new and much better one." Jaina leaned forward as if trying by her proximity to make Mara understand. "He doesn't control you or want to. He loves you, even though, it will be quite a few years before you both figure it out."

Sensing Mara's current state of confusion and if it had been anyone else, what Jaina would have thought was terror, Jaina quickly made up her mind. "I'm sorry I did that to you Mara, but you had to know." Jaina began reaching out to the force and gathering it around her. She imbued her next words with all of the force strength that she could muster.

Waving her hand in front of Mara she said, cutting off Mara's startled exclamation, "You will not remember me or this conversation until it is necessary." She paused again to stress her next point. "You will not kill Luke Skywalker."

"I will not kill Luke Skywalker," Mara intoned under Jaina's force persuasion.

"You will find Talon Karrde."

"I will find Talon Karrde."

While Mara was still dazed Jaina eased Mara into a healing trance and then untied her from the chair. Gently she propped her aunt up, sitting her up against the wall and placed her weapons on her lap. Quickly kissing her aunt on the cheek, Jaina ran out into the outer room and then ducked into a familiar but darkened corridor. Jaina was only slightly surprised to find herself aboard Luke Skywalker's Mon Calamari Command cruiser. She was probably down on a lower deserted level, she reasoned.

An hour later she was walking exhausted up to the doors of the suite where Jag was waiting for her. Jag was there the moment she stepped through the doorway, enveloping her in his strong embrace. After she had rested in his arms for a moment, she pulled back slightly to kiss him. After the kiss ended, Jag picked her up as if sensing her exhaustion and carried her to a bed.

Jaina started to protest that she could walk just fine, but decided that this felt too good to ruin it. As she sank gratefully down into the warm inviting bed, she gestured for Jag to sit beside her. Acting more awkward than she had ever seen him, Jag perched on the edge of her bed. Their hands immediately twined together, while Jag's free one reached up to soothingly stroke her hair.

"Go to sleep, Goddess, I'll watch your back."

".love you Jag." Was all she managed to mumble out before she fell into an exhausted slumber.

* * * * * * * * *

Countless parsecs away and twenty-five years in the future, Mara Jade Skywalker woke with an unexpected start. Hand reaching for her lightsaber instinctively, Mara relaxed slightly as she realized they were just on a battered freighter heading back to Borealis. With a last glance around the room, Mara relaxed, released her lightsaber and lay back down on the bunk next to Luke.

Smiling at her husband of about ten years, she was suddenly struck by an echo of a voice long gone. YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER.

Mara blinked in surprise. It had been years since she had heard the Emperor's voice like that. She had thought that voice had been banished years ago at Wayland, when she had killed Skywalker's clone. Why she was hearing that command again was a mystery and quite, frankly, it disturbed Mara more than she would ever care to admit.

Slowly Mara forced herself to relax and fall in to the orderly pattern of Jedi meditation. Sensing a disturbance in the force, the one that had woken her, she realized abruptly, she almost woke Luke, too, but in the end decided against it. This disturbance felt too. personal to share with anyone yet, even her beloved Skywalker.

Sinking even deeper into her meditative state, Mara allowed the force to flow through her and guide her. In an unexpected move the force directed her probe inward rather than outward as she had expected. Suddenly it was as if a switch had been flicked on in Mara's head and a torrent of jumbled images assaulted her.

*"How disgusting." "You will not kill Luke Skywalker." " I, am from the future."*

She saw flashed of herself fighting with Jaina, pinning Jaina to the wall and choking her. More and more pictures flashed through her mind. Finally as the memories stopped coming she began to piece the situation together. When she absorbed what had happened, after ten or fifteen long minutes of Jedi calming techniques, she smiled. So much was going through her head at that moment, but the quandary foremost in her mind was about Jaina. She couldn't decide whether to kill the girl for messing with her mind or thank her for saving Luke's life and pointing her towards Karrde.

Well, that would have to wait, this memory had been triggered by something and Mara was willing to bet a significant amount of credits that, that meant Jaina needed help. Shaking her head at the memory of the angry young woman she had been, Mara allowed herself a second and only a second to regret that Jaina had been exposed to that side of her, before waking Luke.

Smiling gently, something Mara realized that she did all too infrequently even when she was alone with Luke and or Ben, she said gently. "Wake up, Luke. We need to talk."

Half an hour later, he sat staring at his wife, stunned. "But I didn't think time travel was even possible.I don't remember any of it."

Mara tried to suppress a laugh, she had rarely seen Luke this flustered. Finally he seemed to accept what she was saying. "How do we help Jaina? We don't even know if it's happened yet. Did she say anything to you about the time she came from?"

"I wouldn't know Skywalker," Mara almost snapped, "I wasn't exactly in a friendly mood."

Instantly Mara regretted her outburst. "Guilt won't help the situation, Love."

"I know Luke, it's just." Mara's eyes glazed over then snapped back to Luke's. "Jaina and Jag were a couple."

"What!" Luke exclaimed loudly.

"Say it a little louder, Farmboy, and Leia will hear you on all the way across the galaxy." Mara answered sarcastically.

Ignoring her, he began thinking out loud. "Well we haven't spent much time with Jaina recently so, it's either a fairly new development or coming in the near future."

"And either way, Luke, we need to get back to Borealis and Jaina soon."

"There's nothing we can do about it until we get there, so we might as well relax, you know, Mara." Luke pointed out reasonably.

Mara shot Luke a dark glare although, she suspected the look was ruined by the wide smile on her face. "Oh go meditate until you brain floats apart, Skywalker."

Luke's laughter, soon joined by Mara's, echoed throughout the small ship for quite a while, startling almost everyone on board.

* * * * * * * *

Jaina groaned, waking up for the first time in days without a pounding headache. She was beginning to hate this disoriented feeling. Her annoyance however, dissipated as soon as Jag's face swam into view. "Hey Handsome," she drawled with a fake heavy Corellian accent.

"Right back at you, Goddess."

They sat or rather in Jaina's case lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Jaina sighed wearily.

"Are you still tired, Jaina?"

"No, I was just thinking about all of the head aches we have to think through."

"Yeah," Jag replied with a grin, "but I'm not too worried. Together we can figure it out."

"What an optimist!"

Jag smiled and seemed to restrain himself from making a comeback. He was surprised when Jaina's face suddenly adopted a serious expression. "Jag," she said steadily, "I think we need to leave here. I don't want to take anymore chances with messing up the future."

Trusting Jaina enough not to question her sudden change of opinion, Jag simply said, "Where do you want to go and how?"

Two hours later, they emerged from the suites guest room. It was still night on that part of Bakura, so they were startled to find Luke sitting on the couch in the suites living room nursing a glass of Corellian whiskey.

Jag's jaw almost dropped at the sight of the galalxy's most famous Jedi master drinking, but it didn't seem to phase Jaina at all.

"Got any left?" she asked quietly.

He didn't act surprised at their presence and instead merely gestured at the bottle sitting on a table across the room.

Using the force to bring both the bottle and a glass to her, Jaina took a seat across from Luke, "Who was it?" she asked with great empathy.

"Dan Sel-tar. He flew with the Rogues. Not the greatest pilot, but he came with us through both Death Stars."

Reaching out gently to touch his arm, Jaina quietly said. "I'm sorry. I've lost more comrades than I care to name in my war. It never gets easier."

"No it doesn't," Luke said, seeming to pull himself together, "but life goes on."

"It does."

Luke paused and cocked his head at Jaina. "What do you need?"

For the first time Jag entered the conversation, "We want to leave, to disappear."

"The risk of changing history is too great," continued Jaina, " but I have a solution for one of our problems at least."

"What's that," Luke asked.

Jaina smiled although Jag supposed it should really have been called more of an evil grin. "Do you remember what Ben Kenobi did to those two storm troopers that got nosy about R2 and Threepio when you entered Anchorhead?"

* * * * * * * * *

One long conversation and several force assisted memory alterations later, Jaina and Jag stood next to a small antiquated freighter as the prepared to leave. Jaina had considered whether or not to tell her parents good bye. In the end she had decided not to since their memories would be erased anyway, and it would be pointless.

However, Jaina thought as she and Jag prepared to leave, it was her good bye to Chewbacca, a good bye that she couldn't give up, that kept flashing through her mind.

She had met Chewie outside the Millennium Falcon. "Chewie," she explained softly," I have to go. Jag and I can't stay here any longer, it's too dangerous. We don't know how much this will effect the future."

[ I look forward to meeting you again then, young Solo] Chewie growled out. [ I will miss you but, I do wish you much happiness with your boyfriend. You look, happy, little one, cherish that.]

"Thank you, Chewie," Jaina choked out as she found herself, wrapped into the Wookie's protective embrace, "I love you."

[ And I you, Jaina. Now go you don't want to miss your ship].

It had taken Jag's knowing support to get her back to the freighter before she broke down into uncontrollable sobs. Once they were in safely in hyperspace, Jag turned to look at Jaina in the copilot's chair. She suddenly looked much younger than her actual age, with her feet tucked up in front of her and, her arms wrapped around them tightly. Not needing to be force sensitive to see that Jaina was not all right, Jag grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. Gently Jag wrapped her in a tight embrace.

Jaina seemed to stiffen at first and then relaxed in his arms, letting her emotions out and relaxing her constant control. When she regained her composure, she smiled ruefully at Jag.

"I guess that was really bad for my tough fighter pilot image huh?"

"Moderately bad," he replied with mock seriousness. Jaina's giggles at his response soon became infectious and he was laughing with her. Once they caught their breath, Jag looked up at Jaina who had sunk back in to the copilot's seat behind her and noticed that she was staring at him. Looking questioningly at her, Jag was soon rewarded with a response. "I really do love you, Jag, don't forget that."

Before she could continue speaking a wave of blackness enveloped them. Jaina's last conscious thought was a string of curses so vile that they would have made both Talon Karrde and her father blush.


	9. The End and the Beginning

"Looks like that system's out too, Sweetheart."

Han's sarcastic observation was met with Leia's glare. She was quickly distracted as the 'Falcon shook under a barrage of Yuuzhan Vong projectiles that were pouring in from the two leading Vong frigates.

"Han, stop playing around and get us out of here, now." She snapped inwardly amused, but outwardly irritated.

"I'm working on it, Sweetheart. Just give me a minute."

"Han, why are you flying towards those frigates instead of away from them?"

"Trust me, Leia." He said with a trademark lopsided Solo grin.

"I do," she shot back, "that's why I'm worried."

"Sweetheart, I'm wounded; I haven't got you killed, yet." Han replied mock- sorrowfully as the Vong frigates parted before them. As the 'Falcon flashed passed them they splashed the frigates with laser fire and blew a passing coral skipper into dust.

The moment they entered hyperspace Leia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. After being married to Han for twenty-two years and knowing him for thirty years, Leia knew that his stunts, like the one he had pulled just a moment ago, shouldn't surprise her anymore, but they still did.

Noticing her silence, Han looked over at his wife. Except for a few lines and wrinkles around her eyes, and slightly shorter hair, Leia looked almost exactly like she had when they first met, but she had changed. They were both different people, now.

Leia felt Han's steady gaze and looked up to meet his eyes. She was surprised at the depth of the emotion towards her, showing on his face. She knew Han loved her and his children very much but he wasn't prone to large displays of emotion and to people who didn't know them well their relationship looked very antagonistic.

"Leia?" He questioned her quietly, calling her out of her thoughts. "Are you okay, Sweetheart? You looked light years away."

Smiling softly at Han, Leia replied quietly, "I was just thinking about us. Neither of us would have guessed when we first met that we would still be together thirty years later."

"No," answered Han, "But I'm glad we are"

They stared in to space a moment longer. Han remained quite to allow Leia the freedom to speak. He might not have the force, but he certainly had a sixth sense where Leia was concerned.

"I was thinking about Jaina, too." She admitted after a moment. "I can't imagine how lonely she must feel. Her brothers were always there for her, even if we weren't." She added with a bittersweet edge creeping in to her voice. "I can't imagine what it would be like to think I had lost Luke and we didn't even grow up together. She feels like she failed Anakin," Leia continued partially talking to Han and partially just thinking out loud, "she blames herself and there's nothing I can do to help her."

Forcing himself not to hide behind his normal tough exterior, he answered gently, "We can support her through this," he reached over and squeezed Leia's hand, "and we will be there for her when she needs us."

Leia's face paled at that statement. "I don't think she wants there with her, Han."

The sight of a single tear rolling down Leia's cheek shocked Han. Leia Organa Solo was not a woman prone to tears. Reaching a hand up to wipe the tear from her face, Han said firmly, "Jaina wants you there, Leia. Trust me, I know."

"How do you know?" She asked showing an insecurity that Han rarely saw in his wife.

"I had a long talk with Jaina the last time we were on Borealis. She's been spending a lot of time with Mara. Jaina's getting to see how we felt. I know she talked to you some, but I think that, unfortunately she's inherited her old man's talent for bottling things up." He paused for a minute and took a deep breath. "She wants you there Leia. She looks up to you and emulates you more than you think, but that's part of the problem. Sometimes you two are to much a like to get along."

Leia thought about it for a minute and then let out a tiny giggle. It was more from exhaustion than true amusement, but Han was glad for it none the less. "I guess it's the galaxy's revenge for my stubbornness."

Han kissed her quickly in response and then said softly, "Don't worry, Princess, we'll be back on Borealis in three days."

"I'll try not to worry, but she seems to have inherited our knack for getting into dangerous situations."

"We've been lucky enough so far, Sweetheart," he said warmly.

Smiling softly permitting a vulnerability of emotion that she didn't usually show, Leia answered, "Thank you, Han. I love you."

"I love you too, Leia."

* * * * * * * *

There was nothing, an infinite void..and the force. It was everything, everywhere and everywhen. It was heat and cold, light and dark, madness and sanity. It was everything and nothing and Jaina Solo could feel it all. The Galaxy-the Universe-was at her fingertips. She could feel the countless beings throughout it and the myriads and torrents of emotion swirling through them all. She could feel the worlds that had been destroyed and the echoes of the trillions of people that had been killed in the galaxy's most recent conflict. She could also feel the gaping holes in her perception that signified the Yuuzhan Vong.

But among the infinite information pouring into her mind, through the force, only one feeling caught her attention. She marveled in the sensation, cherishing it, not questioning it, merely savoring it-her connection to her twin, Jacen.

For a moment the universe froze as the twins reunited through their twin bond and then in a whirl of chaos, the connection was gone. Jaina's pain at their separation was overwhelming and devastating. Her scream for Jacen was heard throughout the universe by any individual with even a glimmer of force ability. Then she was lost again, lost to the darkness and uncertainty that is pain and unconsciousness.

* * * * * *

Seconds, days, or maybe eternities later, Jaina woke to see the smiling faces of Wedge Antilles and Iella Wessiri hovering over her. "Where's Jag?" were the first words out of her mouth.

"He's fine, still asleep but fine," Iella reassured her hastily.

"Good," she whispered and then leaned back against the hard infirmary bed. She dimly heard their explanation about how Lowbacca and Tekli, with the help of Kyp and Iella had figured out how to reverse the effects of the Vong technology that had sent Jaina and Jag into the past to restore them to the present. However, her focus was only on the fleeting moment that she had reveled in feeling Jacen's presence.

* * * * * *

Several hours later, after Jag had woken up and they had managed to escape the questioning clutches of Wedge and Iella, Jaina and Jag were once again laying on the roof of the biotics building. As they lay next to one another on the flat roof, gazing up at the stars, Jaina sighed enigmatically. In a move that had surprised Jag and to a degree Jaina, herself, she had spent the last half hour telling Jag about her strange experience while she was unconscious and her new found conviction that Jacen was still alive, somewhere.

In a sweet gesture of reassurance Jag reached over to Jaina and twined his fingers through hers. She glanced over at him briefly, and then returned her distracted gaze to the stars.

"He's out there." She held up her free hand pointing to the stars above them. "He's out there," she repeated, "and I can't go find him. I don't even know where to begin looking."

"You'll find him," Jag replied confidently. "I can use some of my friends in the Chiss Intelligence network to gather information and I'll get some volunteers to start asking around in refugee camps. That should at least turn up a few leads."

Stunned, but grateful at his offer, Jaina looked over at him questioningly. Despite her usual confident, tough image, at the moment she looked like a lost little girl. She started to speak, but Jag gently placed a finger to her lips. "It's okay, Jaina. We know he's out there, now and we'll find him. It will be okay."

Seeming to accept Jag's reassurances at least for the moment, she leaned over and kissed Jag. When she lay back down next to him, she seemed to be feeling a little bit better, even though she was still worried.

"We have other problems, though," she stated out of the blue.

"I know," Jag replied, "but that mind trick you did on Uncle Wedge seems to work."

"Either that or he's just forgotten naturally. It was a long time ago for them."

"Yeah," he conceded, "I guess the real test will be when your Uncle and parents get back."

Jaina laughed abruptly suprising Jag at her sudden change in mood.

"What's so funny, Goddess?" He demanded teasingly.

"Oh nothing, Sir Baron," She replied mockingly.

His dark glare at her remark sent her into a fresh round of giggles, but she answered when she recovered. "I just thought it would be funny if they could remember how they reacted. Mom and Dad especially, when they found out they were married in the future. It was priceless." Her humor died abruptly as she finished her thought out loud. "Jacen would have loved to see it."

Jag squeezed her hand tightly and said quietly, desperately hoping that he wasn't lying: "One day you'll be able to tell him, and maybe even show him through that twin bond of yours."

Jaina smiled trying to accept his offer of reassurance. "I hope you're right."

Putting on his most conceited expression, Jag replied cockily, "Of course, I'm right, Great One, I'm Jagged Fel." Still holding her hand, Jag got up and gently dragged her to her feet. "Now come on, Kyp wanted to see you after we came down."

"Oh Sith," Jaina cursed, "What am I supposed to tell Kyp and everyone else?"

Jag groaned in frustration at the most recent complication and then groaned again when he came up with the solution. Looking at Jaina he muttered darkly, "You're corrupting me, Goddess. Now I'm even starting to think and act like a Rebel."

Despite her serious concerns about what to tell everyone, Jaina replied mockingly, "I'm so proud of you, Jag. I'll mark this day down and make it a Republic wide holiday."

Glaring at Jaina, he continued, ignoring her interruption. "We don't have to tell anyone anything. It has nothing to do with the Vong, so they have no official reason to ask us. We can just tell them that it was personal."

Jaina smiled lopsidedly at Jag as they descended, "I knew there was a reason I kept you around." Jaina said teasingly.

"You mean other than my handsome good looks."

Once Jaina had stopped laughing long enough to catch her breath, she muttered, resigned, "Remind me to kill Wes Janson after I talk to Kyp."

* * * * * * * *

The next day, however, Jaina and Jag had very little time to worry about prying questions or finding Jacen. Small skirmishes with the Vong occurred almost hourly throughout the Borealis system. Jaina and the rest of her squadron were stuck in their cockpit for almost twelve consecutive hours, only stopping between skirmishes to refuel their fighters and refill their supply of proton torpedoes.

Today, though, flying with Kyp and Jag, Jaina didn't allow even exhaustion or fear to over ride the sense of hope she had regained when she realized that Jacen was still alive. The only thing left in the wake of the shield trio was coral dust. Despite the fact that the New Republic seemed to be loosing the war and the planet, they were making the Vong pay for each gain, dearly. Finally a break in the fighting allowed Blackmoon squadron to take over for Twin Suns on their patrol, and Jaina and Jag were finally able to get some rest.

* * * * * * * *

When Mara Jade Skywalker knocked lightly on the door to the quarters her niece shared with a fellow Twin Suns pilot, Jaina woke instantly with the habit of a person constantly on alert, even in their sleep. Still groggy but with her lightsaber dangling from her right hand, just as a precaution, Jaina swung the door open.

Seeing Mara outside her quarters, Jaina immediately clipped her lightsaber to her belt as her face lit up and she swept her aunt into a hug. "Aunt Mara, it's good to see you. I didn't realized you and Uncle Luke were back from Coruscant, yet."

"We just got back," she said normally enough, but Jaina realized that something else was going on immediately. "I talked to Iella when we were debriefing. She said that something happened to you and Colonel Fel while we were gone and that neither of you would talk about it."

Jaina eyed her Aunt warily. Both because of Mara's questions and because it was disconcerting to see the change between the Mara Jade she had met in the past and the women that stood in front of her. Finally, Jaina decided to see if Mara remembered meeting Jaina in the past or if she was just trying to get Jaina to open up.

Changing the topic, she asked, "Mara do you remember where you were during the Ssi Ruk invasion?"

Mara inhaled sharply, "So you were in the past," she breathed.

"You remember," Jaina demanded almost simultaneously.

"How do you remember, I used a Jedi mind trick on you."

Mara smirked and added, "But what you said was that I wouldn't remember it until it was necessary." She shrugged slightly, "I guess it was necessary, now."

"I guess, so," Jaina echoed, shocked. Her next question was purely practical. "Does Uncle Luke remember?"

"No," Mara replied easily, allowing herself a brief smile of pride at the success of her off and on apprentice's Jedi mind trick. "I told him once I remembered, though."

They sat in contemplative, exhausted silence for a moment before Jaina asked dismally, "How mad at me, are you?"

A frightening smirk slid over Mara's face for a quick second before she replied calmly. "I was very upset at first about what you did to me-it's probably a good thing you weren't around- but I can't say I'm sorry about how my life turned out. I'm definitely not sorry that I didn't kill Luke."

"We can just say you owe me one," Jaina dared to respond showing her most definitely Corellian heritage with that daring statement.

Mara pinned her with a glare and Jaina felt a wave of panic, anxiety and wariness, sweep over her. It was the sensation she got when she was flying and she knew she was heading into an ambush, but she couldn't escape and she didn't know where the attack was coming from.

Mara settled back in to the chair where she had found a seat, outwardly relaxed, ,but inwardly, Jaina knew she was poised to strike. "Actually, Young Lady," Jaina squirmed involuntarily at what Mara had called her, "I happened to remember something very interesting."

"Oh?" Jaina strove to ask casually, although she had a very good idea where this conversation was going.

"Yes," Mara continued casually, "I seem to recall you having a very friendly," she pointedly stressed the word, "comm. conversation with someone that sounded suspiciously like Jag Fel."

Jaina felt her face burn with an involuntary blush. Mara allowed herself an evil chuckle when she saw Jaina's blush and then added, "Well if nothing else your parents will definitely hate him."

She paused a moment eyeing Jaina speculatively, "Do you really feel that way about him, or was that just for show?"

Jaina sat frozen on her bunk for a moment, but then a slow goofy smile crept over her face. "I think I love him, Aunt Mara. I really think I do."

Mara smiled, genuinely happy for her niece. She got out of her chair and walked over to Jaina. "You're lucky, Jaina," she said warmly. "Now," she added in a more commanding voice, "as your Jedi Master, I'm telling you to get some sleep. You have Goddess sessions and patrols all day, tomorrow."

She patted Jaina on the shoulder and then walked towards the door. She stopped when she reached it and looked down. Without turning around she said softly, "Jaina. I'm sorry for what I said and did to you back then. I was always glad that you and your brothers never saw me like that. I was afraid that you would hate me or fear me."

"My opinion of you hasn't changed, Mara. You will always be my Aunt, whatever you have or haven't done."

"Thank you, Jaina," she whispered as she slipped out of the room and into the corridor.

* * * * * * * *

Even before Borealis's rotation had carried it far enough around for the light from the system's sun to begin to stain the building where Jaina Solo was sleeping, she was woken from her exhausted slumber by an unusual sensation. Not that it was unpleasant, Jaina immediately conceded. Her eyes flew open to find herself looking into the startling green eyes of Jag Fel.

"Good morning, Goddess," he whispered against her lips.

"Mmm, good morning to you, too, Jag." She answered stretching sleepily.

She pulled him down for another, longer kiss, savoring the warm, comfortable feeling that seemed to be enveloping her. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before and it was a far cry from the pain, fear, death and loneliness that had been her constant companions for the last few months.

She wanted to stay there with Jag sitting at her side for the rest of the day, just reveling in that feeling. However, she knew Jag wouldn't come and wake her up at such a horribly early hour, without good reason. For a moment, Jaina mentally cursed the sensed of duty that her mother had so carefully instilled in all of her children from a very young age.

The regretfully she raised herself up on her elbows and said, "What's the matter? Are the Vong making another push?"

"No, no, Love," he assured her quickly, his very unbuisness like appearance and the tone of voice assuring her that everything really was okay, but her curiosisty remained.

"Well what brings you here so early, Jag. Not that I mind," she added hastily.

Jag chuckled slightly at her vehemence and then replied calmly. "Uncle Wedge woke me up for an early morning tactics session-he was asking about some Chiss tactics. I couldn't get back to sleep and I remembered that your parents should be arriving in a little while." He shrugged briefly, "I thought you might want to be there to meet them when they got in."

Shocked that Jag would even remember when her parents got in much less risk her wrath by waking her up, she remained silent for a moment. Then she added hastily, "Thank you, Jag. You're right I do want to be there."

She dragged her legs out from under the covers and swung them over the side of her bunk. She kissed him briefly and then walked in to the 'fresher to quickly shower and change in to a less wrinkled flight suit.

When she exited it, she walked over to stand in front of him. "Do you want to come with me?" she asked softly, gripping both of his hands in hers.

"No," he replied, "unless you need me to, I should get back to sleep, before we have to go back up today."

"Okay, I'll see you later." The kissed briefly, then exited her quarters, both heading in a different direction.

* * * * * * * *

Standing at the edge of the area where the Millennium Falcon would soon be landing, Jaina idly kept an eye on the sunrise as she scanned the sky, watching for her parents arrival. She felt through the force-her mother's warm, comforting but acerbic presence and her father's familiar strong, brilliant air of ingenuity-before she saw them.

The moment she saw the Millennium Falcon she was filled with her a familiar impatience. She had spent a large percentage of her childhood with her brothers, waiting for her parents like this. When she was younger and the three children were virtually inseparable, they had always waited for their parents together, Jacen on her right and Anakin on her left.

That was the united front that they had always shown the galaxy. No matter what, their disagreements were always put aside whenever external problems appeared. Many people, Jaina knew, thought that she was the level headed one of the three, the balance between the extremes of the fulcrum of Jacen and Anakin-peace and aggression. But in reality, as much as she held her brothers together, they were what gave her the strength to do whatever she had to.

Anakin was dead now, though, and the fulcrum that had been perfectly balanced before was now wildly unstable. Jacen was alive, Jaina was sure of it. She would no longer even allow a shadow of a doubt to taint her hope. It was this new found hope along with the reassuring presence of Jag that was allowing Jaina to find a balance, a peace in her life, not by replacing Anakin but by continuing to live.

As a happy but calm feeling began to envelop Jaina, she smiled, knowing that the road ahead would be hard, but her that her new hope could sustain her. Her smile grew wider still as the Millennium Falcon's landing ramp swung down like a giant mouth opening to devour it's prey and touched the duracrete gently.

Even before the ramp had settled, Jaina was bolting up it to her waiting parents. Sweeping first her father and then her mother in to a warm hug, Jaina surprised her parents.

With her arms still tightly wrapped around her mother, Jaina whispered, "I believe you, Mom."

Her statement was filled with a quiet certainty that shook Leia even though she had no idea what Jaina was talking about. There was something different about her daughter, Leia reflected.

She pulled back from Jaina slightly to look in to her eyes. "About what Jaina?"

"Jacen," she whispered, "he's alive. I know it."

"Oh, Jaina." Leia murmured, shocked and grateful if for no other reason than to have Jaina's belief. For her part, Jaina remembered the uncertain and abrasive young woman whose future had been so different than she had wished and she was finally able to forgive her mother for everything.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too Jaina." Leia replied.

"Hey, what about me," Han queried, not to be left out.

"We love you, Han," Leia added dryly.

"And I love, Jagged Fel," Jaina added, surprised at her own daring.

Her parents both froze before Han bellowed, "Jag Who?" leaving the clearing and Jaina's head ringing for hours.

Once again all was not right in the universe, people were still dead, families were still torn apart and worlds were still ravaged. Perhaps that's how it would always be, but the Universe would still continue despite it all, always giving new hope in the continuous circle that is life and the force.


End file.
